Image Obsession

This obsession with image has become an increasing problem in our society today.  And the ages seem to be getting younger and younger.  The media seems to be attacking younger ages because the older ones have already got the issues.  In this online article entitled, “Disney Makeovers, School Pictures & Eating Disorders: Drawing the Line With Image Obsession”, found on the website Ypulse, addresses some of the most recent attack on tweens.  The first issue addressed is the increasing percentage of parents that are insisting that their child’s school picture be touched up.  As the article states, “what better way to get a child on the fast track to self hatred that by letting him know that you had to edit something about his face before putting his photo on the mantel?”  Why on earth would a parent do something so flagrantly stupid?  Those pictures, as the author points out, are like a rite of passage for kids.  Many kids, especially today, have poor enough self esteem without adding to their image issues by making choices that they see as a statement or insult to them.  Sad thing is, most parents wouldn’t see it that way.  What has changed so much in society that we don’t automatically see this as wrong and stupid?  What can we do to help fix this problem?

The second of the issues is Disney recent cooperation with Forever 21 to release a clothing line with a remade Minnie Mouse as the front person.  She has been redrawn to have skinny legs, a svelte figure and wearing stilettos, which simply adds another icon to the already large group that effect kids today in increasingly negative ways.  The author points out that both of these stories are disturbing in light of recent reports (linked in the article) that found more and more teens and kids – from every ethnicity and socioeconomic background – have some kind of eating disorder.  While we can argue, as pointed out by the author, that one Photoshop picture or cartoon character isn’t going to single handedly cause eating disorders, it seems to be targeting younger kids that do not have the filters and understanding that older kids do, so are far more susceptible to the image conscious ads being thrown at them.  Steps need to be taken by parents and authority figures to help minimize the message being sent, or at least teach kids that the messages found in the media of today aren’t always the best avenue to follow.    

Ypulse, November 30, 2010. Retrieved December 5, 2010 from http://www.ypulse.com/disney-makeovers-school-pictures-eating-disorders-drawing-the-line-with-image-obsession