Impact of Adobe Photoshop on Body Image

Photographs retouching and manipulating is becoming more and more common since the invention of Adobe Photoshop in design industry. The powerful tools and functions of Adobe Photoshop enable the designers to retouch or manipulate the cover models and create a virtual image of perfect figures that do not exist. These virtual images make readers believe the existence of perfect body proportion and unconsciously lead to wrong perception of self-esteem and their body image.

Most of the victims of these “Photoshopping” impact are females who are taking to heart about their appearance and body images. The more they watch at these unrealizable and glorify virtual figures created by Photoshop, the more they worried about their own appearance and body images. The desire to get perfect body proportion and facial appearance make some women nowadays even spending lots of money on needless plastic surgery and harming themselves by becoming anorexic or bulimic. Researches have been carried out in recent years to discover the originator of body image disturbance among young women and the results show that high exposure to media such as television and magazines have a large impact on women’s self-esteem and body images. The superior functions of Adobe Photoshop make these females believe the existence of absolute beauty that is unachievable in reality.

Nowadays, some famous celebrities such as Brad Pitt and Kate Winslet have taken action against digital altering, or known as “Photoshopping” of their bodies. Brad Pitt, one of leading male celebrities in Hollywood, have broken one of Hollywood’s golden rules in recent issue of W Magazine by revealing all his flaws and wrinkles to the public. On the other hand, Kate Winslet, famous actress of Titanic, took action against GQ Magazine for “Photoshopping” her body in its photographs that made her look unrealistically thin.

Celebrities have the power among the publics. If there are more honest celebrities that request their photos to be printed without “Photoshopping”, everyone else will follow the action. This can help more women and teenage girls nowadays realize that the perfect body figures do not exist.

References:

• Djoukoue, A. (2012) Keep it real challenge:  Photoshop’s impact on body image. Available at: http://info.umkc.edu/womenc/2012/06/29/keep-it-real-challenge-photoshops-impact-on-body-image/. [Accessed 28 July 2013] Annotation: This website basically talk about how Photoshop affect the self esteem of most of the female viewers. It has list out clearly how the digital manipulated image give the wrong perception to the female especially the teenagers and cause some negative effects to these viewers. By the way, this website also talk about how celebrities can help to counter this problem.