PHOTOS**T - Lecture 4

“A picture paints a thousand words” , a quote that I attempted to reject for this blog as I thought it was overused and cliché  - though the meaning is to damn true to ignore. I love books, though I continuously turn straight for the images whether its news, history or texts; the pictures is what intrigues me. It’s hard to accurately describe a picture, when it’s so simple to view it, which is why picture stories continue to conquer the media.  Starting back from indigenous cave painting in 15,000 – 10,000 BC, from the holy books to the digital age of photography it has continued to exist and it is here in the present digitalized society that we have failed.

With technology comes advantages, such as instant digital pictures, though with these advantages comes disadvantages. In particular a program that destroys the minds of an already fragile youth, Photoshop. This software contains the ability to enhance, hide, improve, conceal and shape photos. I’m not saying all Photoshop is corrupt; it’s mainly the immoral style that’s being used in contemporary adolescent magazines. Editors of these magazines are ignoring that youth idolizes celebrities and models that are printed on these magazines. In response these teenagers are altering their shapes and appearances to fit the ‘perfect and beautiful’ look that is essentially fake. 

The ratio of deaths by suicide to the total number of deaths from ALL causes is: For 15-19 year olds, 19.0% of all deaths for males and 15.9% of all deaths for females. (http://www.responseability.org/site/index.cfm?display=134569)

This harsh statistic is illustrates that as a society something needs to be done. I’m not interpreting this all-young suicides is a reflection of edited images, but it is undeniably a major factor in creating low self-esteem.

I think I’ve got a tad side tracked but this is what I got out of todays lecture.

Sam.