Discussion: Discuss Perception
Discussion: Discuss Perception
Discussion: Discuss Perception
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Response 3 (Sylvia): This weeks topic brings up an interesting subject in respect to something we all see and are potentially influenced by on a daily basis particularly if we interact on social media sights. The question was asked what the advantage could be to portray flawless perceptions of beauty to the masses. In short, I believe it is to breed insecurities in the induvial which leads to sales in many industries (makeup, fashion, nutrition/diet supplements, ect.). When we become insecure about our physical appearance as a result of seeing flawless examples of how other look, even if those induvial have been altered (such as photoshop) we are more inclined (broadly speaking) to purchase products which we believe will make us feel better about ourselves and the industries bank on this fact. This issue is further enhanced by the fact the relatively newer addition of social media filters and phone apps which allow you to alter your face, shape, and appearance with more ease then ever (something reserved to celebrities in magazines in previous decades) making the leap to perfection even more of a false projection and nearly impossible live up to in real life. The disadvantage to this type of lifestyle is that it gives its buyers unrealistic expectations of what can be expected from their products (ie. When images are filtered, altered, or photoshopped) and from a marketing perspective may lead to its buyers feeling as though their product do not live up to their marketing.
In respect to the halo effect and the images provided, I believe this halo could go either way. I believe I have been bombarded by so many images of women with perfectly contoured faces and impeccable makeup that it was refreshing to see the before photos and in many instances, I felt that before photo was the more appealing of the two. If I was applying the halo effect to my views I may view the women from group A (before) as being more down to earth and less influenced by the general consensus of what beautiful should look like. I may believe she is comfortable in her skin and that she is unphased by external influences and ideal set forth by our society of what is an expectable or desired appearance. From this perspective I may view the women with heavy amounts of makeup (group B) as being more insecure and more heavily
