Over 620 billion American dollars are being spent on advertising and marketing every year. The media swarms the American public everyday. It has an increasingly larger effect on our lives with each passing year. Being an American teenage girl, the media aims to target and brainwash me with its blatant advertisements of perfection. We see approximately 3,000 advertisements each day convincing us that we are not good enough for society. Media is the corrupt voice of our generation. It negatively affects the way girls view themselves and the world around them.
This evil voice not only exposes teenage girls to the necessity of having glamour, fortune, and fame, but it fuels the idea that the only way to be happy is to be perfect. The media’s main goal is to convince girls that we are not good enough the way we are. They express that true happiness can only be achieved with respect to what the media has to offer.
It is common knowledge that every girl wants to feel not only beautiful, but also glamorous. The media uses this to its advantage every day. They target girls that have a strong desire to stand out in a crowd. The media’s twisted actions force girls to have a low self-esteem. They become frustrated and jealous of the glamour that can only be obtained by someone on television or in a magazine. Girls who listen to what the media has to say are being led into a deep pit of despair. They stray away from their morals and beliefs in the hope of achieving “glamour.”
Teenage girls have had a continuous desire to feel beautiful and wanted since the beginning time. The media breeds and exploits this idea to the point of total domination. The hit series, Gossip Girl, is supposed to be a realistic show about the day-to-day events of a group of high school kids. But instead, it shows the stylish clothes, hip trends, and glamorous attitude that the media wants to instill in its innocent viewers. Girls watch this show and think that the only way to be happy and succeed in life is to look, dress, and talk like characters on television.
Just like every other girl out there, I am exposed to the media everyday. It is definitely hard to have self-confidence and inner beauty when the media is constantly hurling its images of perfection at me. My way of combating the evil voice of our generation is to rise above it and focus on inner beauty. I do what makes me feel good inside. I can only be truly happy if my heart is happy. The media can try all it wants to force its way into my mind and change my views, but with self-confidence, I stand tall. It does not matter what I look like on the outside as long as my inside is pure and good.
... Even though this blog talks solely about the influence of bad media, I do understand that there is good media that promotes healthy living. I was just trying to point out all the negative side effects the media has to offer.
There is a 10 part documentary called, "The Corporation," which goes into details about how our world is actually run by a handful of corporations. For instance, did you know that Disney actually owns TimeWarner? All companies are owned by 4 or 5 (I can't remember which) corporations, and all of our laws are designed to keep that system fluorishing.
Marketing to children is a big part of this. For little kids it is marketing toys, cereal, all kinds of useless plastic pieces of crap. They count on the "nag factor" to make parents buy all this uselessness. Researchers spend hours coming with ways to make commercials geared to make kids nag their parents.
For teen girls, and honestly all women, an editor of Vogue confesses, "We are in the business of making people bad about themselves. Our magazine covers say, 'read this, we have the secrets to make you perfect,'" to want to be perfect is a need that comes from being dissatisfied with yourself."
It is all about marketing. If young girls, and all people, would recognize the power that these marketing super corporations have over us, we could start to choose to live without it. I used to feel intimidated by all this crap. I learned though that no matter how beautiful people are physically, they still suffer from the same sickness.
Why do you think so few Hollywood supercouples stay married for more than 5 years? No matter how gorgeous someone is, they are still subject to infidelity and jealousy. Just look at Brangelina and Jennifer Aniston. Do you think Brad left Jen because Jen wasn't pretty enough? Doubt it. Don't you think Angelina is pretty enough to not have to be jealous? I think not.
Why do so many young beautiful women commit suicide? Beauty does not make people happy. Looking perfect does not make people happy.
On the other hand, being self-confident is sexy, no matter what you look like. Wear your smile proudly, stand tall, and enjoy life. That is how you can be beautiful, and happy.
"Consistency is not a human trait" - Maude, from Harold and Maude
Certainly I understand your point and this is a good one but are you blaming corporations and business? the aim of the commercials is to make money by advertising successfully a product that someone wishes to buy. what about the thousands of "self-confidence" books and similar products that argue against teenage girls falling subject to stereotyping? These are all advertised and this is a part of business. Besides the part about corporations you make good points.
Government has no other end, but the preservation of property. - John Locke
http://www.thecorporation.com/index.cfm?page_id=2
"Consistency is not a human trait" - Maude, from Harold and Maude
Don't just take my word for it
Is it wrong that I read that and started singing "butterfly in the sky, I can go twice as hi-iigh!"
:-D
Is it also wrong I didn't know the guy's name was LeVar? I thought his name was really Geordi La Forge until I was like 8 or so. That's right, kids. I watched TNG when I was 6.
And I still do.
:-D
"What a crazy random happenstance!"
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
Read my Blog!
Ha Ha! :rofl: I knew it sounded familiar to my brain when I saw it on the screen!
And for anyone interested, here is a link to a way to do something about it, if you don't like it: http://ezine.hellocoolworld.com/index.cfm?issue_num=1&page_id=2
"Consistency is not a human trait" - Maude, from Harold and Maude