Josh Odishoo Adam Padgett ENGL 1102 April 2nd, 2014 Research Paper Hmm, social media !

hen "e hear the "ords social media "e #s#all$ thin% o& things li%e the internet and the hand&#l o& sites associated "ith it s#ch as 'ace(oo%, )"itter, *nstagram, +ine, ,o#)#(e, etc- .#t, "hat most people &orget a(o#t are ad/ertisements- Ad/ertisements are a pers#asi/e tool #sed e/er$"here, not 0#st on the internet, (#t in tele/ision, maga1ines, and on (ill(oards all o/er the "orld- Ad/ertisers #se a /ariet$ o& techni2#es to pers#ade their target a#dience especiall$ thro#gh the #se o& .EA3), 4.a1ant5- )he idea o& #sing good6loo%ing, thin, se7$ models to pers#ade /ie"ers has (ecome a s#ccess&#l $et o(sessi/e techni2#e thro#gho#t ad/ertising- )eenagers and adolescents are e7tremel$ /#lnera(le to (eing ta#ght the idea that the "orld is rarel$ #gl$ or o/er"eight (eca#se o& "hat the$ see in posted ads all o/er social media)he constant appearance o& 8ideal9 images thro#gho#t ad/ertisements ca#se man$ insec#rities "ith the teenage pop#lation toda$- :ail$ cons#mption o& ad/ertisements thro#gh social media ca#ses (od$ dissatis&action &or man$ teenage girls, leading to se/eral emotional health conse2#ences that res#lt in eating disorders and (odil$ harmOn a/erage, teenagers spend 10 ho#rs and 4; min#tes o& media cons#mption per da$ 4Pe"5- *& $o# do the math, that<s o/er =>00 ho#rs per $ear- 8?edia and technolog$ is deli/ering content that is shaping o#r societ$, (#t most importantl$ the$ are shaping o#r $o#ng generation<s (rains, li/es, and emotions (eca#se o& the amo#nt o& cons#mption9 4!ester"ic%5- )his is a pro(lem (eca#se %ids are (eing e7posed to all sorts o& #n&iltered media, mean"hile their (rains are not

&#ll$ de/eloped- Restrictions that happened (ac% in the late 1@00<s simpl$ don<t happen toda$ and that<s a pro(lem (eca#se media simpl$ has no &ilterAocial media simpl$ "rec%s &emales emotionall$- At s#ch an earl$ age, girls are gi/en the message that the most important thing is ho" the$ loo%, and that their /al#e and "orth depends on that- )his message is sho"n &rom ad/ertisements, &rom &ilms, tele/ision sho"s, e/er$"here "e loo%- )hat<s to#gh (eca#se girls &eel the press#re to respond ($ attaining the (ea#t$ that media portra$s- )oda$ is all a(o#t the (od$, not a(o#t the (rain and that is "rong- ?odern c#lt#re #n&ort#natel$ sho"s that (eing strong, smart and accomplished isnBt eno#gh, (#t to stri/e &or an #nattaina(le deal o& (ea#t$ and appro/al in the e$es o& men is the main accomplishment 4Cram(litt5- *n order to accomplish this #nattaina(le deal o& (ea#t$, man$ teenage girls go thro#gh periods o& depression and lo" sel&6con&idence res#lting in eating disorders or e/en o/ere7ercise- D;E o& "oman and girls ha/e an eating disorder according to a 2012 s#r/e$)a%ing this statistic, "e can concl#de that the main ass#mption to "h$ this is happening is (eca#se o& the portra$al that the media p#ts on "omen as se7 dolls or (od$ props)he media simpl$ "ants $o# to (e something that $o#r not- )he media "ants people to &eel an7io#s and insec#re- 'or men, its all a(o#t stat#s and po"er, at least loo%ing li%e $o# ha/e po"er- 'or "oman, $o#r 0#st ne/er (ea#ti&#l eno#gh- Girls are spending more on (ea#t$ prod#cts and salon ser/ices in order to &it to the needs o& societ$- 3-A "oman spend (et"een F12,0006F1;000 on (ea#t$ prod#cts and salon ser/ices per $ear- )his n#m(er is o#trageo#s and co#ld (e #sed to"ards pa$ing o&& t"o $ears o& t#ition &or college- )he American Ps$chological Association has &o#nd that sel&6o(0ecti&ication has (ecome a national epidemic o& "hich conse2#ences consist o& shame, an7iet$, and sel&6disg#st 4Golan5- )he more girls sel&6o(0ecti&$ themsel/es, the more li%el$ the$ are to ha/e eating disorders, (e depressed, and e/en s#&&er

lo"er GPA<s)he media sho"s so m#ch negati/it$ to"ards "oman and their "eight and ho" the$ loo%- )eenage girls &eel tons o& press#re to con&orm to men<s ideals- )heir is a concept o& the 8per&ect9 "omen and &or those "ho donBt loo% the "a$ that the$ sho#ld are scr#tini1ed toda$Girls are at school to learn, (#t instead ha/e the press#re o& p#tting on po#nds o& ma%e#p to loo% good and appeal to the appearance that is represented in societ$- Girls "ho don<t ha/e that 8per&ect9 (od$ go thro#gh &aces o& depression res#lting in c#tting and (odil$ harm- .od$ dissatis&action leads to &eelings o& press#re "hich leads to eating disorders- *n the old da$s, (ea#t$ "as achie/ed thro#gh cosmetics and air(r#shing, no" a da$s comp#ters digitall$ alter ho" a person loo%s and %ids are (eing enco#raged to relate to that image at a $o#nger and $o#nger age each time- ,et, it<s an impossi(le standard and teens are #na"are o& "hat ad/ertisers do to l#re in their a#dience- 'or the most part, teenagers arenBt a"are o& photoshop and ho" comp#ters digitall$ alter images to a near impossi(le (ea#t$- On a/erage it ta%es a h#man (rain (et"een 1>624 $ears to &#ll$ de/elop, so the idea that these teens at s#ch a $o#ng age ha/e the mat#rit$ and %no"ledge to %no" "hat goes on is n#ts 4Gil(o#rne5 )eenagers are a m#ch more /#lnera(le class in societ$- )he media displa$s anore7ic "omen all o/er the media and conditions societ$ to thin%ing that 8this is ho" "e sho#ld loo% li%e9- *t<s "rong- People "ith health$, a/erage si1e (odies $et &eel the$ are o/er"eight and tend to go into anore7ia thin%ing the$ need to get thinner and thinner to condone to "hat the$ see thro#gh the media- ;=E o& 1= $ear old girls are #nhapp$ "ith their (odies- )hat n#m(er increases to H>E ($ age 1H 4Go/ar5- )hese percentages o& teens s#&&er &rom the press#res o& societ$ and &eel that the$ need to either lose more "ight or get more toned- )his leads to the eating6disorders %no"n as anore7ia and (#limia- !ithin these eating disorders, teenager "ill

either go thro#gh periods o& not eating at all or eating /er$ large amo#nts &ollo"ed ($ an immediate p#rge- .oth are e7tremel$ #nhealth$ and can res#lt in serio#s (odil$ harm- ,et, 1HE o& teens engage in c#tting or in0#rio#s (eha/ior (eca#se o& the depression that the$ go thro#ghLi/ing in a societ$ o& con&ormit$, it can (e e7tremel$ hard on a teenage girl emotionall$ to hold together the &eeling that the$ ma$ not (e as attracti/e as those aro#nd them- Li/ing #nder the constant spotlight and press#re that societ$ is "atching and 0#dging ma%es it e7tremel$ to#gh on &emale teenagers- Aince 2000, rates o& depression ha/e do#(led, ca#sing more and more teenagers to go thro#gh periods o& (odil$ harm s#ch as eating6disorders or e/en c#ttingAd/ertisers do a great 0o( in choosing the most (ea#ti&#l, thin 8ideal9 &emales to #se as the &ace o& (ill(oards, on )+ commercials, and e/en all thro#gho#t maga1ines- )eenagers are 0#st not de/eloped eno#gh to %no" that these ad/ertisements are displa$ed to attract their /ie"ersPeople, especiall$ the $o#ng generation, 0#st don<t reali1e that these cele(rities and 8ideals9 that the$ see ha/e gone thro#gh ho#rs o& e7ercise, ma%e6#p and haircare, &ollo"ed #p "ith electronic Photoshop in order to hide an$ &acial imper&ections or stomach cell#lite4Je&&ers5- )his leads teenagers to thin%ing that "hat the$ see is "hat the$ sho#ld (e, "hich #ltimatel$ leads to the se/eral emotional and ph$sical conse2#ences*mages o& cele(rities or 8ideal9 models are posted e/er$"here, "hether on 'ace(oo%, *nstagram, or e/en t"itter- )hese images alter the "a$ teenagers loo% at themsel/es and ca#ses a sense o& (od$ dissatis&action (eca#se the$ &eel that the$ don<t meet that ideal- Re&erring to tele/ision, on a/erage a teenager spends more time in &ront o& the tele/ision than an$ other acti/it$ other than sleeping, cons#ming o/er =;0,000 commercials ($ age 1>4)een 'acts5- )he %e$ strateg$ to an$ appealing ad/ertisement comes &rom something %no"n as PhotoshopAltho#gh this tool "or%s in con/incing its /ie"ers &rom a mar%eter<s standpoint, this techni2#e is

e7tremel$ detrimental to o#r $o#ng generation toda$ (eca#se it completel$ alters "hat 8normal9 reall$ is- 8E7pos#re to #nrealistic media images and messages has (een identi&ied as a ris% &actor &or (od$ dissatis&action, eating dist#r(ances, and mental health concerns9 4Je&&ers5- )eenagers o&ten times str#ggle determining 8tr#th &rom realit$9 and social media does it<s 0o( in ma%ing this pro(lem contin#e- )eenagers constantl$ glance o/er h#ndreds o& ad/ertisements e/er$da$ to the point that a clear /is#al o& "hat the 8ideal9 (od$ sho#ld loo% li%e is stored a"a$ in their minds)his can lead to depressi/e s$mptoms and (od$ dissatis&action &or those indi/id#als "ho &eel that the$ don<t meet that 8ideal9 ph$sical appearance that societ$ is loo%ing &or- )hin6ideal &or "omen and m#sc#larit$ &or men has led teenagers to &eel the press#res &rom the media- .eing e7posed e/er$da$ to a certain appearance ca#ses con&#sion in teenage /ie"ers- )eenagers, ha/ing to li/e ($ the 8norm9, &eel the need to alter themsel/es ph$sicall$ to "hat the social media &la#nts as an 8ideal9 (od$- )his 8ideal9 (od$ that is (eing &la#nted is either meas#ra(l$ thinner or toned than an a/erage h#man (eing sho#ld normall$ (e- )eenagers don<t %no" that)hro#gho#t m$ paper and thro#gh m$ research and personal e7periences, *<m a(le to ma%e the concl#sion that social media deteriorates &emale teenagers emotionall$ and ph$sicall$ thro#gh the constant press#re o& attraction- E/er$da$ &emale teenagers li/e #nder a spotlight "ith the &eeling that the$ m#st per&orm #p to societ$- )his is e7tremel$ heart(rea%ing (eca#se this leads to a series o& emotional (rea%do"ns res#lting in serio#s depression and poor sel&6 con&idence- 'emale teenagers are (arle$ com&orta(le in their o"n s%in ($ the press#res p#t on thro#gh social media, "hich #ltimatel$ leads to a series o& #nhealth$ acti/ities s#ch as c#tting and h#rting onesel& thro#gh eating6disorders- 'emale teenagers (arle$ %no" "hat normal is an$more d#e to the se7 portra$s p#t on thro#gh social media "hich is an #ltimate harm to societ$-

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