A very popular thing used in media to fool our minds is Photoshop. Photoshop was created in the late 1990s and subsequently, eating disorders and unhealthy behaviors have been on a rise. Is this a coincidence? I read an article,“Why Photoshop is More Deadly Than You Thought” by Gina Vaynshteyn, and she says, “There's just no way an image would be released without any retouching at all, so every single ad would have that disclaimer on it. And absolutely 100 percent of what's in fashion magazines is retouched...You can never have no retouching across the board, because some of it you just have to do if something's really distracting in a picture." How sad is that? Knowing that 100 percent of what we see in the media is altered in some way makes me lose hope for where we are headed when it comes to the media and advanced technology. This is why we all have these unrealistic views of ourselves and other people! We want to become something that is humanely impossible to achieve, and we are killing ourselves over it. We think it's "normal" to look like these altered images of men and women we see on TV, in magazines and on billboards because we don't know anything different. Consequently, we think we are not normal if we don't look like them. This can lead to stress, anxiety, depression, body and self-esteem issues and other mental health problems. Digitally-enhanced images of both men and women in the media are a very real and dangerous problem that needs fixing. It is not something to take lightly on any means; it is deadly serious and needs to be addressed head on, just as this article is attempting to do.

However, we can not forget that Photoshop is just software. I don't want to completely diss Photoshop because it is a very helpful and amazing tool if it's used correctly. I don’t think Photoshop is the thing to be demonized here. However, people are. Photoshop is not creating these altered images of men and women, people are. When you say “Photoshop is incredibly damaging,” what you mean to say is, “alterations being done to these pictures of both men and women in an effort to create a more ‘perfect’ body is incredibly damaging.” This is taking the human out of the entire equation. Photoshop is not the tool altering the images, people are.

A different article I was reading called, “Why Photoshop is More Deadly Than You Thought” makes it seem as if Photoshop alone has the power to kill. If you really think about it, Photoshop requires exactly what a soft, cozy blanket requires to be a weapon; A person using it in an unsafe, dangerous and deadly manner. Also, let us not forget that Photoshop is not the only photo editing and enhancing software people use to make these unrealistic and perfected body images.There are several apps offered and advertised to make you slimmer or smooth out your rough patches. Now, even on Instagram, we are offered filters and other photo editing tools to make ourselves and the picture look perfect. But, instead of all of us targeting this software program, which is only a tool, let us target those individuals and companies using it in this detrimental manner. The software is not the issue here, people are, and it is evident from the facts that eating disorders, depression and other mental health problems are on a rise because of these issues.

Today’s up-and-coming world has messed up and twisted body ideals because of Photoshop and everything we read and see on TV or in magazines. Unhealthy thinness and having the "perfect body" are things that are becoming more and more glorified. How did this happen? There was once a time where our bodies were made to fulfill purposes; For boys, they needed to be strong enough to be able to provide for their family, and girls had to have wide hips, large breasts and enough meat on their bones to be able to bare children and nurture them safely and properly. However, today this is not the case. Instead of us using our bodies to fulfill a certain purpose, we use our bodies for looks and consistent exercise to get closer to the perverse gender body ideal we all desire instead of having those better chances at survival like in the past. Society praises the individuals who achieve the so-called “perfect body” and thinness from rejecting food or pushing themselves to the dangerous extreme.

What society needs to realize is there is not such thing as "the perfect body," and there never will be. Real people do not look like what we see in the media. People do not naturally have smooth, glowing skin. We have lumps, bumps, scars, wrinkles and imperfections. However, we need to stop looking at these things as imperfections. These things are simply life. They are signs that we are living and enjoying life!! Life is beautiful, and so are you. Stop comparing yourself to images you see everywhere in the media; they are a false representation of what life looks like. Confidence is key! Embrace all the marks you have on your body, and embrace how your body is. You don't need to change for anybody. I truly believe if we keep these facts in mind, then our society will be one step closer to promoting healthy and realistic body images that are happy, healthy and truly beautiful.