Fashion Advertising and Social Cost for Women July, 2014

The Social Cost of Fashion Advertising on Women The fashion industry relies heavily on aggressive marketing and advertising campaigns. The impact of fashion advertising on the population and particularly on women is a matter of great concern for socialists and behavioral experts from around the globe. It has been argued repeatedly that the realm of fashion makes use of unrealistic imagery which creates negative impact on the female self esteem. There is little doubt the fact that fashion imagery makes use of unrealistic and edited photos of models which create high societal pressures on women. When women compare themselves to these images, they are often unsatisfied with their bodies or looks and suffer from negative body image issues. The view is central to the opinion that such adverting is merely one dimensional and that too focused solely on the company and its benefits. These benefits are in no way linked to the social and behavioral development of the customers. Negative social comparison and depression are some of the primary effects of this form of advertising. If companies were to focus their advertising efforts on creating more rewarding experiences for their customers that in turn help to self affirm women, the impact would be increasingly positive. A number of critics argue that fashion advertising focuses merely on presenting a particular model that is either too thin or too attractive. In majority of the cases, these advertisements have been edited to appeal to the mass market. In addition, these advertisements tend to stereotype women on the basis of the roles that they are expected to play. Scientists argue that a large portion of the female perception regarding their own bodies is based on the objectification imposed by the society. This in turn forces a number of women to view themselves from the perspectives of a third person or an outsider. Girls in general internalize the views of others as their own, thus making them more vulnerable to negatives emotions, anxiety and shame. It has also been observed that as compared to women, men seem to be less influenced by such advertisements. Fashion advertisements targeted at men do not produce a negative impact on the self esteem of men. Advertisements now influence our life in ways we have never perceived before. Today, women spend large amounts of money in order to achieve an image that they deem suitable as per the fashion industry. These advertisements support models and actresses that are highly unlike the common women. When women find that they cannot look like these models they feel depressed. The need of the hour is that more realistic advertisements be designed. Strict regulations which ban edited images should also be implemented. It is important to conclude that advertising should not emerge as a sector which forces genders into negative social comparisons. http://www.researchomatic.com/representation-of-women-in-the-media-and-effect-onbody-image-120016.html The Social Cost of Fashion Advertising on Women

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