Thursday 11 December 2008

Sex appeal in advertisings negative effects on children

Sex appeal in advertising has become an incredibly controversial issue due to its negative effects on children’s self-esteem, body image, manipulation of their young minds into purchasing company products, and lastly the sexual portrayal of children in advertising. It would be a lot easier if there was a clear-cut line between offensive and effective sexual advertisements, but there is not.
Furthermore, advertisements are leading to an unhealthy obsession with good looks and perfect bodies in our youth. The use of sex appeal is causing our society to put an emphasis on appearance and weight, which not only play a role in adults but affects our children as well. A prime example of this comes from a popular advertisement in a June 2002 advertisement in Teen People Magazine. The advertisement was for a Jersey dress. The advertisement pictured a tall, beautiful, blonde model, with an incredible figure. The blonde model was wearing the skimpy dress walking through one baby blue door and into another. The small caption in the advertisement read, “Make a Sh.....................

Despite the need to fit in, people also want to break away from the crowd and be important on their own. These eating disorders also occur in males, however, it is less frequent.
In conclusion, sex appeal in advertising has become an incredibly controversial issue due to its negative effects on our children. ” The increase in testosterone increases anabolic activity, which results in greater muscle bulk. The social pressure that occurs from such advertisements can lead children to drastic measures in order to try to live up to an impossible image. A few advertisements, which portray these points, came from Teen People Magazine, Maxim Magazine, and past Calvin Klein advertisements found over the internet. The advertisements appeared in the New York Post and in a huge billboard in Manhattan’s Times Square. The woman and the caption give female children the idea that if they buy this dress they will become “showstopping” and therefore, socially successful. Advertisements such as this, read by many teenage girls, give them the idea that in order to be noticed and popular they have to be as attractive and thin as the woman in the advertisement. It was as if the model is poking fun at male masculinity.

In addition, there is a major controversy surrounding sex appeal in advertisements, which are aimed toward adolescents. An advertisement that supports this idea came from Maxim Magazine; the advertisement was for Camel cigarettes. Recently, Maxim Magazine advertised a video game that didn’t show anything about the game. The main idea of the advertisement is that in order to be the center of attention a person must either look like the young, thin, beautiful model, or attempt to by purchasing the dress.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Good Job, Keep it up !