There’s a danger in the internet and social media. The notion that information is enough, that more and more information is enough, that you don’t have to think, you just have to get more information – gets very dangerous.” -Edward de Bono
Mass media is a major determinant of our national discourse. Media institutions select what news to report, what issues to cover and what images we see. Therefore they manipulate, distort and affect what we as the public sees as important. These media outlets use cropped angles, staged imagery and bias commentary to sway public opinion.
They state that their platforms are designed to tell the public what they need to know and want to see, instead they tell us their preference. What to think about images, world issues and stories that affect a significant portion of society. From news to television shows, social media to movies, an image of what the world should supposedly be like is implanted into the subconscious mind of the viewer.The media is such a powerful entity that it is able to influence us in ways that we are completely oblivious to the fact that we are being manipulated. Information on current events or politics, for example, are sensationalized so much so that it becomes unrealistic and over exaggerated.
Mind feeding incidents by the media include the way in which we’re told to look. Billions of pounds are spent with the intent of mass producing images to influence audiences. These images create a need or desire to purchase a product or look like the celebrity representing the product or the celebrity themselves. False messages of acceptance, approval, and likeability are fed to us on a daily basis through the countless images portrayed. Many lies are dripping from pages of magazines, television commercials, social media and across the internet. A vast amount of the media use digital distortion through encoded in photoshop as skewed images are presented as truth. The media believe these lies are wanted by us. The images we want to be seeing, what we “need”. And yes, they’re beautiful but they simply aren’t real.
Recent evidence has suggested that there is a strong correlation between a woman’s perception of her ideal body image and images that are typically viewed in media outlets. Said outlets are feeding their idea of the “perfect image” to a range of audience. Children as young as 12 are developing mental illnesses and eating disorders due to images in the media of what a “desirable” person looks like. Images of the celebrity’s being enhanced when really not needed cause unreal expectations of the body amongst young people. This negatively affects young people’s self-confidence and distorts our real sense of reality.
As an online community, we need to learn, love and embrace our bodies. This being in whatever shape or form. Everyone is different and everyone understands how difficult this process can be. Day by day we need to make small changes to the way we think about this topic. We cannot let the media manipulate and feed certain perceptions into our heads. Even if you think it’s impossible to love yourself or your body, know that there is hope. A simple change in the way you think about yourself can be healing. Restoration of your own peace of mind and positivity can go a long way.
“I finally realized that being grateful to my body was key to giving more love to myself” -Oprah Winfrey
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