Self image is a big deal. How do you feel when you see a clothing advertisement or a magazine cover with a “sexy” model (according to society)? Their breasts are computer enhanced, they are incredibly and rather unhealthily skinny, their skin is airbrushed to "perfection"--they are considered “perfect” in every way.
How does it make you feel? I know it used to me feel bad about the way I looked...it still does. For the record: I’m relatively tall, not skinny or overweight, & I have a ton of giant zits under my bangs. These magazines can make people feel so insecure about their physical appearance. The truth is: you don’t look like a model. You don't need to look like a model. Even the models don’t look like models (hint: most of it is fake).
Last year, a young girl petitioned against one magazine's usage of photo-editing software. Julia Bluhm is the 8th grader who petitioned against the use of Photoshop by Seventeen Magazine and succeeded! I' sure you know what it’s like to flip through a fashion magazine, look at the images of the skinny girls with perfect hair, perfect teeth, acne-free complexions, and obviously edited cleavage. After Bluhm's petition and tireless efforts, Seventeen has agreed to stop photo-editing their models and try to show off “real” girls. If one 8th grader (with over 84,000 petition signatures) can put a stop to this, imagine what we could all do if we told the media how we really feel.
“Julia’s message to all her supporters: ‘Seventeen listened! They’re saying they won’t use Photoshop to digitally alter their models! This is a huge victory, and I’m so unbelievably happy. Another petition is being started by SPARK activists Emma and Carina, targeting Teen Vogue and I will sign it. If we can be heard by one magazine, we can do it with another. We are sparking a change!’” (ThinkProgress)
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