Role of Magazine Advertising in Promoting Unhealthy Body Image COM 340 Role of Magazine Advertising in Promoting Unhealthy Body Image Print advertisements are always full of images and colors in order to attract customers This is obvious in billboards televisions magazines and the like and is incorporated by seemingly perfect and unrealistic models having perfect shaped body no marks and no flaws This is made possible by air brush effects and Photoshop concealing every imperfect part of the model However these images are seen by teenagers and are doing all they can to be just the same as those they see on print ads Because of this they somehow feel depressed not looking anything close to it There are also those who suffer illnesses such as being bulimic anorexic binge eating and the like Some sides with the profit it contributes while others are of the opinion that using such images creates more harm than good destroying youth s minds Herewith is the background of such controversy and the view in relation to social science as well as the possible reason behind the behavior relating to the advertisements History and Nature of the Advertising Controversy The last print media to be developed is the magazine Rodman 2006 This includes newspapers which became a need since 1700s and the magazine is a form of an innovation of the latter Upon the hype of magazines rose advertising products using photographed models so as to make the product more attractive and appealing to the readers The kind of picture used in the first ever magazines were a painting of portraits using pencils It then evolved to using photography using those unrealistically perfect models An example of a magazine in 1800s was Godey s Lady s Book women as its target reader The cover models were in the same color of hair and hairstyles looking like a doll with very thin body structure which started the controversy of its effects to the youth Below is Figure 1 an example of such picture painted by an artist Figure 1 Image models painted This picture shows the kind of advertisement used and made through painting Note Vintage Victorian 2010 June 25 Victorian Images Retrieved from www vintagevictorian com images 1856 g a b jpg Because of the want to increase sales and profits more controversial photos were produced and used and affected ethical standards Rodman 2006 The use of those marketing techniques misled its readers More controversies arose because of the information received of its results Rodman 2006 One of the most striking controversies is its effect to the youth It has been said that US history shows that certain fashion magazines are evolving through time providing articles about improving one s self such as make up tips exercises clothing tips and the like Englis Solomon Ashmore 1994 p 53 The models photographed to showcase such articles seem a hundred percent perfect that no one can achieve In turn it becomes a source of depression and eating problems Controversy How youth sees it Studies reveal that the media has a strong impact in creating health problems such as binge eating bulimia depression and anorexia The body becomes dissatisfied and the concerns in eating rise and become connected with the sociocultural framework wherein the dissatisfaction of the body and eating problems influences the insight gaining too much pressure from various sources including peers family and most especially the media Rodgers Paxton 2009 p 393 The youth are criticized commonly by their own families friends and the media Media shows what the youth thinks as the right role model in the physical aspect fair skin long legs and ultra thin figure Hence they think that gaining the slightest pound makes them ugly and undesirable losing their self confidence and depressing them Industry and career impressions The print ad industry is continuously improving and creates more opportunity to provide for jobs for so many people Said corporations market their products using magazines An increase to their profit with the use of said media is with the help of a number of employees companies hire including the editors the print ad models photographers creative directors among others In order to negate the bad connotation people have towards the magazine industry it should be the parents responsibility to give thorough guide among their children in explaining the purposes of said advertisements so as not to give them the wrong impression that they need to be that perfect in order to be accepted But it is still argued that in continuously patronizing the use of unrealistic advertisements may bring about depression towards their readers most especially the youth Social Science Perspective The theory of social learning serves as a structure trying to clarify the behavior of learning processes with the use of the cognizance or psychological and social learning process in general Ward Gryczynski 2009 para 8 The theory regarding social learning in relation to the use of advertising through magazines by giving the idea to its readers that the images therein are the ideal body and image type a person has to have most especially to youth readers who are most vulnerable to such a type of idealism are what are contemplated under the said theory It represents the view of the general public Magazine articles relating to said social issues are raised because of the use of product endorsers and print ad models whose pictures are edited in order to seem as if they are flawless Magazines embody what is current and modern based in this time Hence those who read said magazines want to copy what is in nowadays so as not to be left out in the past Teens tend to compare themselves to those they see in magazines and try to achieve looking like them Otherwise they will feel depressed and bring about certain psychological illnesses Teens browsing through the articles of the magazine will come across photos of models who they try to look alike A study was conducted to 925 people within the ages 10 to 14 years wherein the effect of the messages portrayed in the ads incorporated in magazines which uses image models within the same age bracket as the students examined The results were that the use of said media were of great effect to them giving them the idea that being a size zero is ideal normal and acceptable and being any greater than that will make them less of a person Magazines were of so much influence to them than other types of media available Lawrie Sullivan