Photography is an essential piece of art in the 21st century with an ability to “bring home an understanding of the world through affective means.” (Gaut, B. 2007) Although photography has the power to inform the public of political events, capture memories and document history, the rise of social media has turned it into an unreliable source of information.
From magazines to images on Instagram, being surrounded by unrealistic images often results in young men and women feeling pressured to conform to naïve standards and expectations. According to a report by Common Sense Media (2015), the average teenager uses media for 9 hours every day. The rise of photoshop and social media can have a dire effect on a young person’s self-worth and body image, with images establishing unrealistic expectations for both men and women.
Rather than utilising Photoshop to enhance an image, it has been used to distort women’s bodies and morph them into a more desirable and idealistic image.
Exposure to altered photography and the media’s harmful effects has resulted in “44% of adolescent girls believed they were overweight and 60% were actively trying to lose weight” (Morris, A. Katzman, D. 2003). This leads experts to question the reliability of photography, its effects on adolescents and whether the content should be on social media for children to view.
Reducing the use of photoshop in the media is a difficult task. As a result of this, helplines such as the ‘Butterfly National Helpline’ have been created to provide councel and support for people plagued by eating disorders and body image issues.
Although we can’t halt the production of unrealistic photography, we can work towards opening young people’s minds to the issue and allow them to see past the photoshopped images.
