Journalist Anna Hart's Article Analysis

Social media has a big influence on this generation when it comes to “body image.” Many women, or “models,” will post pictures of themselves showing off their body with thousands of likes and many comments saying “body goals” or “I wish I looked like that.” This

Lovelock begins talking about Instagram, a social media platform which is used to share pictures with your followers. He talks about how people tend to upload photos with the #transformationtuesday, claiming to have transformed their physical features. As more pictures that are being recently uploaded within social media, the further we see people enhancing their photos to become flawless. As we dig further into the social media side of the internet, we are going to see just how much influence society has on people and their decision to become who they perceive as perfect. Throughout the

“Never Just Pictures” by Susan Bordo, is about how today’s society is influenced by the mass medias unrealistic ideas of how they are supposed to look. In this essay, the author breaks down the images being showcased by today’s culture concerning the aesthetics of the female body. Bordo also talks about how what was considered ‘beautiful’ or ‘perfect’ before has changed. Lately, the world has been on a craze to look like the air brushed model in the picture. Bordo explains how a lot of people are becoming more obsessed with their physique, and depending on looking thin to make them happy, instead of focusing on being happy and healthy.

“We are constantly surrounded by all sorts of media and we construct our identities in part through media images we see.” Social media plays a huge role in constructing our idea of the perfect body. But it hasn’t always been the same idea. Over the years, the perfect body image has changes. The ideal body image has changed so much over time because media never stays the same, fashion trends are always changing, there’s such a diversity of bodies in this world to choose from, and different cultures consider different bodies beautiful.

The internet is perhaps one of mankind’s greatest milestones. It connects people from all over the world, thus eradicating traditional boundaries of land and sea. Along with this connectivity comes the availability of information and instant communication. This sort of digitalization of human interaction is evident in social media websites like Facebook. People are able to communicate with each other and share aspects of their lives constantly. A popular form of self-expression present across all social media platforms is the ‘selfie’: an informal photograph of oneself taken by that person either with a front facing camera or other form of unprofessional photography. It has become such a phenomenon that it was named Oxford English Dictionary’s

As technology editing tools have become even more prevalent, many feel the need to excessively use photoshop before they share an image online. In a pervasive world where images of unrealistic standards fuel the media on how one should look, social media has one of the most significant impacts on body dissatisfaction. Throughout the last decade, social media has become one of the most common and favored ways for people to communicate, connect, and share. Thus, there have been many debates and discussions on whether the media has a positive or a negative impact on the way an individual perceives him or herself. As the rapid growth of smartphone usage among adolescents and adults has increased, social media has become an essential part of one’s daily life. In today's society, when most adolescents and adults turn on their smartphones, often times, the first thing they will refer to is a social media site. It has become a place where they are exposed to news, images, and expectations. Often times, these images, ideals, and expectations are ingrained in their brain and bombarded with what is considered to be beautiful. Moreover, these unrealistic standards will often lead to a form of comparison, influencing them to take extreme measures. Although social media serves as a platform where people can connect, communicate, and share, it has a negative impact on one’s body image, because it can lead to a lack of self confidence and severe

But on this canvas, people tend to paint beautiful lies about themselves, blotting over the imperfections. Now, this may not seem like such a bad thing. What’s wrong with people telling lies here and there if it boosts their self-confidence? But that’s where researchers are finding the problem. “”The onslaught of Photoshopped images gives us a false standard to aspire to," she says. “We know logically we'll never look like those women-but those images are powerful in shaping our expectations of ourselves.” …says relationship expert Natasha Burton, author of 101 Quizzes for Couples.” (Tomko) The phenomenon that people are finding to be true is that the constant bombardment of seemingly perfect people is making people wonder why they aren’t as perfect as the people they see in the pictures. And it’s not just social media. Society in general has this proclivity towards perfection. People that fall out of that sphere of perfection that the media projects begin to feel inadequate about themselves. “Girls already insecure about their weight can feel even worse when they compare themselves to ultrathin models” (Thin Fashion Models). This insecurity and self-loathing may even lead to eating disorders, like anorexia and bulimia. Media puts so much pressure on people, especially young girls, to strive to be something they’re not simply because they were taught that it was the only way they would be loved or cared about. “While

“No one is forced to take selfies, but the preponderance of selfie culture inspires a heightened self-consciousness of our personal images online.” This is apart of the Times Article, and how peer pressure is the cause of people being self-consciousness about what they post online.

Minh-ha raises the point that now; women in particular have the potential to be “co-creators” in regards to their body image. She argues that the images of women – particularly those previously marginalized – have been radically transformed and that they now have agency to portray themselves wherever, however and if they chose. Gone are the days where the object of an image was controlled and objectified. Now, one may control how and if they are to be objectified and to what audience. She muses over Giroux promoting the idea that selfies (and thus other forms of self-presentation on social media, inclusive of reality TV shows) are simply

When teens go online they are faced with edited photos of their idols, or even people they don’t know. Popular social media sites such as tumblr, instagram, twitter, and facebook all have photos of “perfect” girls. Teens log onto these sites are immediately immersed in photos of everything they want to be. Instagram provides the opportunity for girls to edit their photos in such a way that a person would hardly be able to tell who it is anymore. Adding lighting, blurring the background, getting the picture at just the right angle. Teen girls are practically becoming professional photoshoppers at this point. “Encouraging” pictures flood the feed on the social media sites. Examples are “Every time you say no to food, you say yes to thin”, “Skinny jeans. Skinny shorts. Skinny for life.” and “Every time you skip dinner, you wake up thinner” (Marin,

Due to the increase in popularity of social media, today’s generation is bombarded with unrealistic standards when it comes to beauty. When young people today first turn on their cellphones, more often than not, they refer to a social media site. Whether it’s the ever-popular Instagram, where people can post pictures and followers can “like” to show their approval or post comments. Or, whether it’s Twitter, where people can post witty or inspiring or informational things for their followers to see and can be retweeted or favourited. Or they could click on the little blue Facebook icon, where all of the above can happen. These are some of the most popular social media outlets today because young people are

Beauty sets standards for society through appearance, especially in younger generations due to use of social media and picture editing. “Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder” is a saying that has been around for ages (Plato, n.p.). It is an accurate phrase because of contrasting views within particular individuals. Beauty is present in the good deeds of community members as well as the unity exhibited through dreadful events. It is a flower bud breaking through the dirt into the fresh, spring air. To clarify how beauty is viewed, it is often times the exposure of evil accounting for the new appreciation of something beautiful. After recognizing the privileges we acquire, the existence of beauty is revealed and expressed more easily. In current society, appreciating beauty is substantial to

If one looks up from their phone and looks around they’ will notice everyone around is on their phone too. This is not an issue, but it does create a few. Technology has many branches, but the one that pushes the importance of perfect beauty is social media. Most people who use social media use it to keep in touch with friends and talk about how their day is going, but like Dorian Gray, society puts emphasis on the importance of beauty and aesthetics. Social media is used as society’s tool to perpetuate these beauty standards. As a result, many people become obsessed with portraying the perfect image. In Wilde’s work, Dorian is a young man who immortalizes himself through his painting so that he may be beautiful and live beautifully forever, as one might do on social media, but it is only an image. Beauty today is faked. In Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray beauty comes from experience, while my adaptation reveals the obsession of the perception of beauty.

Many people while traveling the world take selfies with famous landmarks or sculptures in the background and when they upload them to social media it’s for the background, not their face. These selfies are more about the context than the selfie. Another reason why selfies aren’t bad is because they boost self confidence in many teens worldwide. All people love to feel good about themselves, selfies are the most common way for teens to boost their confidence. A survey done by NBC News Today states that 65% of teens say seeing their selfies on the internet boost their self confidence and “present their best face to the world”. Another survey done by NBC News today also states that 55% of girls and 34% of boys say social media already makes them feel more self conscious about their appearance.(Website #2) If that’s the case,

For many years, women have been critical of their images, thinking that others portray them with the same negative view. Perhaps this is worsening with time due to pressure from social media demanding that beauty is seen in perfection. According to an online article, “Social Media: Does Social Media Have a Positive Impact On the World?”, the opposition argues that “People need to look deeper for self-worth, they contend, than achieving "likes" (on Facebook) by posting selfies on social media”. They suggest that “if you’re editing photos down to the finest of details such as changing eyelashes and skin tone, chances are you're giving too much merit to how others perceive you." (Social Media: Does social media have a positive impact on the world?). In the ad “Real Beauty Sketches: You’re More Beautiful Than You Think”, Dove persuades women to fight against the negativity and discover inner beauty, which is crucial to finding happiness. The message is portrayed by touching the hearts of viewers through emotive connection with real people, a tranquil atmosphere, and a calm tone to captivate and gain their consumers trust in the brand.