A persona is something an individual uses to talk through that is the thing in which others see of you. It is like a disguise that conceals who the individual really is from others. Clothes in certain situations characterize one persona depending on how you view yourself and how you think society views you. When one has tattered clothes it may symbolize nervousness about your attractiveness. One needs to let go of some ordinary ways of thinking. When one changes the way they dress it may mean that they have changed lifestyle.
I can change the way I dress because I want to boost my self-confidence by dressing well. This allows me to walk without fearing that people can see that I have no self-confidence. In this way, I can appear as a strong woman in the eyes of society. This is important for me to feel good about myself in all possible ways. When I am going out on any errands I take time to dress regardless of the place I am going. In this way, I always look sharp in the eyes of society though that is not what I feel inside. This is important for me to be able to associate with people feeling I have a sense of value and that they believe I am worth something.
The magazines portray girls with thin bodies that represent ideal beauty. Many young girls believe in being thin just like the models in the magazines. Young girls aspire to have the perfect body at a very young age with research showing as early as 5 years old. The magazines focus on appearance with young girls looking so happy in the standards of modern beauty. The message being put across is that girls have to be attractive to men and that it is alright to engage in sex. Young girls grow thinking sex is fun and one does not need to be in a relationship or married. The magazines give information on how girls will be able to lose weight. They state that the girls will have the power to reduce to a thin model body within days.
The advertisements are constantly advocating for women to value the clothing they wear, their bodies, and their beauty. Girls of almost all ages have the conception that they need to be perfectly beautiful and most of all they must be skinny. Cosmetics are essential for any modern girl as portrayed in the magazines. Young girls go to all lengths to use all sorts of makeup to make them look beautiful. Others are forced to use dangerous chemicals to lighten their skin which poses health issues. Girls are encouraged to keep up with fashion with various tips on how to keep up with the trends of fashion. The magazines expect these girls to accept what is given to them at face value without thinking about it.
Girls are provided with the role model of the young beautiful model as the standard of modern beauty. They expose more body parts than they cover with fancy clothes that are fashionable. Pictures and images of women portray unrealistic beauty making the other girls feel unattractive. The magazines put pressure on girls to be sexually active with very great body shapes. Provocative images of women who are halfway dressed feature in the magazines advertising various issues. Girls are portrayed as sexual objects when their bodies are used to advertise various products in the market. The girls are presented with romantic relationships that look so real leading them to have illusions of a perfect partner. Girls have to keep high standards within society in order to become popular with their peers. Many young girls are forced to socialize with others who are in the same class as them so that they will not be classified in the low class. (Rukeyser)
The media is very open when relaying the information relating to various issues affecting young girls in society. Various websites, television stations, the radio, magazines, newspapers, and advertisements have on daily basic large information relating to young people. Pictures and videos are so rampant that contain compromising information to the young generation. The internet is so large with tones of information that can be accessed very easily by anyone at any particular time. They have not put any limitations on those who can access the websites and other media services but are rather open to everyone. There are also factual articles available where people who need genuine information may be able to access.
These magazines are written by ordinary employees of a company and hired to produce that information. Journalists and magazine editors are always ready with information when they find it to write it at its convenience. They have to make sure their information gets published and released as soon as possible in order to ensure they sell more. Competition is very stiff in these companies and one has to work hard to get the information ready on time.
The African American culture and way of life is very different from what I have experienced. Many people especially the western have not been able to accept this group of people due to their skin colour. Racism is very rampant even in our contemporary society and this to me should not be allowed. People should be treated equally within a society in order to allow for common good of everyone. They may speak a different accent from a typical white person but their emotions and rights are just like any other human being. When you interact with African American one is able to learn a lot from their social setting and way of life.
Works Cited
Rukeyser, Muriel. Race, Class and Gender. Chap 7.