by Vilie Farah

Created on: October 13, 2009   Last Updated: February 21, 2010

Porcelain dolls having shiny long curls, plum lips, amazingly beautiful breasts and nearly non-existent waists stare at us from each poster, billboard, magazine ad and television commercial.

The border between real-life beauty and these non-existent Photoshop models is beginning to blur. Each day, hundreds of women fall victims to this deception. Each lady wants to resemble the fake dolls. Subconsciously, an average woman feels unhappy and unattractive.

Media have played large role in setting new beauty standards. These beauty ideals are surely impossible to achieve. Photoshop has taken model perfection to a brand new level. Skin starts lacking wrinkles, beauty spots and pimples. Hair flows freely like a shiny silk river. Thighs tighten up to reveal every single delicate muscle. Eyes turn deep, crystal blue.

* Media and female psychology *
All artificially imposed notions of beauty make a regular woman feel like the plainest creature to ever walk the surface of the earth. The shiny image of media models seems like a distant ideal coming from a parallel universe.

Ladies start feeling miles away from thin, sexy and elegant. These sentiments are only to the benefit of the cosmetic industry and plastic surgery. The number of individuals spending serious amounts on beautifying procedures and products is constantly increasing. All these people are simply trying to achieve the impossible beauty standards determined by media.

* Beauty and teenagers *
The effect of these newly imposed beauty standards is extremely detrimental to the development of teen girls. Puberty is a period when no girl is at peace with her looks and body. It is a period of change and of novelties. Taking as an example the female image that media have put together in no way helps a growing girl in her transformation.

Teen girls learn early on in life that beauty is a must if a woman wants to be successful and desired. Young women subject themselves to serious diets, which often turn into major eating disorders. The mindset of a young lady alters early on in life. The strive for this artificial beauty affects her objectives and goals.

* Women as objects *
Media also work hard to objectify women. Models are equal to bodies. Beautiful bodies. Bodies that act as delicate and impeccable accessories. Bodies that have no goals, plans, intellect and dreams. Simply objects spreading sex appeal over the world.

Why has this happened? How do media benefit from imposing this set of beauty criteria? The answer is quite

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