Photoshop's Harmful Side Effects

In today's world, the majority of the photos we see make extensive use of Photoshop.

We are constantly bombarded with unrealistic images, from advertisements to magazines. In a society that promotes a flawless physique and features as the "norm," young girls and women are frequently under pressure to conform to the unrealistic expectations promoted by digitally altered photos.

Excessive Photoshop use on photos not only sends a negative message, but it can also lead to low self-esteem and body image issues.

Instead of enhancing photo quality, Photoshop is used to completely distort a woman's body into something it is not.

Magazines and photographers make models who are already frighteningly slender even smaller. Their waistlines are shrunk, their arms and legs are reduced to bones, and all flaws are removed.

Some of the photographs go so far as to transform the women into Barbie-like figures that are hard to attain in real life.

These photos send out a negative message, especially to someone who is already struggling with their image.

These kinds of photos make us believe that beauty can only exist in an unattainable body type, and that it's even remotely healthy to look like the models in the photos we see. It teaches us that it is preferable to hide our flaws at all costs rather than embrace them.

Even hours spent at the gym and intensive dieting can't match the image created by Photoshopped images. Young women and girls, on the other hand, are persuaded to believe it is because of what they see on the covers of magazines on a daily basis.

We are repeatedly presented with the same Barbie-like image, rather than focusing on what is healthy and all different types of body shapes.

These are not healthy or safe ideals to send out to a vulnerable audience.

The entertainment sector is responsible for a significant amount of the problem.

Celebrities frequently dictate what society considers to be beautiful, and practically all of the photographs of celebrities and models we see in magazines are heavily manipulated.

Instead of perceiving these heavily altered photographs for what they are, which is phony, we tend to appreciate them.

Though we delude ourselves into believing it is possible, no one can have perfect skin, a size 0 body, and immaculate features. When young girls see their role model on the cover of a magazine adhering to these standards, they believe they must follow suit.

When combined with other concerns, these absurd photographs can lead to low self-esteem, a negative body image, and eating disorders like anorexia, all of which are significant issues that can take years to overcome.

The National Eating Disorder Information Centre is a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting people who are dealing with eating disorders and spreading awareness about them.

The NEDIC has launched a campaign encouraging fashion executives and marketers to use models of various body types in their photo shoots and to reduce the amount of picture manipulation.

The petition and campaign were created to empower women and help them overcome their negative self-image.

Unfortunately, despite the NEDIC's campaign and other outlets' backing, the struggle to prevent the overuse of Photoshop is still a long way off.

All we can do until then is remind ourselves that what we see is an illusion, not reality.

We can hopefully put an end to this Photoshop abuse once and for all if more people become aware of it.