Should magazines/media have to disclose if they photoshop images of models?

Should magazines/media have to disclose if they Photoshop images of models?
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Should magazines/media have to disclose if they Photoshop images of models?
The wide range of content or materials available through both the digital and traditional media platforms for consumption by an equally diverse consumer base plays a significant role in shaping and even influencing the perception of individuals and society as a whole. The use of photographs or the art of photography, for instance, makes for one of the primary forms of art providing content that has revolutionized both traditional media and the advanced social media platforms of the current generation. Whilst it’s not bad or against the law to use the best-shot photos of models for promoting a given brand or product, the adverse repercussions of the negative influences created from such images is a cause for worry among all the stakeholders involved. The use of the Photoshop application to enhance or rather create modifications to the model’s appearance of their natural features is creating a deceptive perception of beauty among consumers with dire consequences of the same being witnessed across the global society. Photoshopped images of models portraying retouched waistlines that are thinner than normal, for instance, create a wrong impression to the consumers of what a beautiful waistline and sexuality mean for the consumers. Such depictions are unrealistic for both the male and female models. The unrealistic and deceptive depictions of ‘ideal’ body structures not only exert unwarranted pressure on the models themselves but also create the wrong perception of reality on impressionable individuals in society such as children and teenagers. The wrong perception of beauty leads to the adoption of unhealthy habits among consumers with the expectation of mirroring the unrealistic appearances of the models and other celebrities. Such expectations further lead to other adverse effects on the well-being of individuals and society as a whole including low self-esteem and anxiety disorders. Bullying and stigmatization of individuals with body structures or forms that are contradicting the unrealistic body shapes have also been found to be rampant across the diverse generations in society today. It is for such reasons that corporate organizations in the fashion and photography industry, as well as governments around the world, are putting up stringent measures to curb the often overlooked adverse effects of photoshopping images or rather the use of altered images in magazines and other media platforms. Disclosing the use of Photoshop in images of models should thus be a mandatory provision that receives unanimous adoption by all the stakeholders involved.
The pressure to meet unrealistic expectations from the fashion houses or designers and the ‘ideal’ forms suggested by other altered images exposes the models to unhealthy lifestyle habits that may have fatal consequences. Exquisite photos of models, celebrities, and other celebrated personalities in society have found their ways in newspapers, magazines, as well as billboards and other advertising platforms that reach the intended customer base. The f...