“From children's toys to TV shows, images of the idealized body have permeated every level of our visual culture” (Swinson). As the advertising industry continues to grow, so does the focus on appearance. With around half of ads using beauty as an appeal to sell their products (Teen Health & Media), pressures to be "perfect" are causing women to become dissatisfied with their appearance, pushing them to resort to unhealthy measures . The average teenager spends significantly more media time each day than time spent with their parents, usually around 180 minutes on average for every ten minutes spent with their parents (Heubeck). With so much time spent on media-influenced activities and constant exposure to unhealthy role models, it's no surprise that women are being influenced. Most female models wear a size two or four, while the average American wears a size twelve or fourteen (Mirror-Mirror). When advertisements manipulate photos of their models, it alters the way women see themselves. Advertisers should not be allowed to promote unhealthy body images because they lead to increased self-consciousness, eating disorders and suicide. The media's emphasis on having a flawless body or face is starting to impact girls at an early age. When given an unrealistically thin doll, such as Barbie, to play with, girls aged five to seven said they wished they were thinner (Swinson). Not only do girls want to lose weight, but their self-esteem is demolished by the media. “In a recent study, researchers found that appearance-focused television programs are affecting the self-esteem of 5-year-old girls” (Heubeck). The middle...... middle of paper ......table with their bodies due to media influences. As the advertising industry continues to grow, women feel the need to have the ideal body. Photoshop and airbrushing are used quite often, giving women a false image of how they should look, and it can often be so unrealistic that it becomes harmful to women. The effect that advertising has on viewers often makes them feel worse about themselves. Pressure to achieve perfection often leads women to harm themselves. The way the media portrays body images leaves vulnerable women and girls harmed by how they see themselves. When it gets to the point where people feel so self-conscious that they feel the need to suffer from eating disorders and even take their own lives, the media should not be able to promote unhealthy body images..