IMAGE-OBSESSED SOCIETY

Sir,

There’s no denying that we are living two sets of lives; online and offline and with that said, how does online life affect young girls in terms of how they view themselves as validated by the number and type of comments they get on social media?

The kinds of images they post as influenced by their idols in the likes of Beyoncé, Kim, Rihanna and Nicki, to mention a few, somehow reveal that which they are benchmarking themselves against. In a world where everybody is being told to live their life the way they want to, someone may find it needless to find anything wrong in sharing photos that reveal that much flesh.

Well, this online culture of image-obsession is putting a lot of young children, especially girls, under relentless social pressures. More and more young girls are spending their time and psychological effort on their appearances at the expense of all the other important aspects of their identities. Ask any parent and they will tell you they want their children to grow up as balanced individuals but online life is affecting their studies, interpersonal relationships and the development of their physical abilities.

Attention

With more girls adding themselves to the population of those who use the internet to get attention, which they don’t get in real life, there’s a suppressed reality of how men view and interpret all this.

The responses I got from few guys I quizzed on how they view those who post raunchy photos on social media are startling. One guy said; “For me, it utterly means you’re degrading yourself. The person posting might not see it as lacking self-respect for your body, but ask anyone with morals and they will tell you differently.”

Another man in his late 20s wondered how the things which women are supposed to wear in private for their boyfriends and husbands have found their way to Instagram and Facebook? It’s a genuine concern because there’s still that feeling among most men that it takes away your value and brands you as ‘trashy’.
One might argue and say; “Well, whatever interpretation men arrive at, it’s not my fault.”

Yes, it’s not what you’re intending most of the time, but it’s what you present. Remember, every person is a brand, so be careful not to present yourself to every man’s filthy imagination.

This obsession about imagery all means one bigger challenge; that parenting has to evolve. Parents have to keep up with the times and tell their daughters the truth about the intrinsic values of what it means to be a woman.

Nhlangano
  
 
 

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: