The Effects of Advertising on American Youth:

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The Effects of Advertising on American Youth: Can the Negative Be Made Positive? English 101-D07 Liberty University July 26, 2013 What mixed messages are being sent to our impressionable teens, when plus-size models, who are now embraced as having a place in fashion, are being airbrushed away just as like every size zero? Are advertisers saying it’s acceptable to be plus size, ( a size 12 being considered plus size, when the size of the average American woman is a 14) as long as you don’t appear to be plus size, i.e., a tummy, creases, or dimples, all of which are part of embracing the plus size woman. With the relentless advancements in technology, issues have been created that were unimaginable just 30 years ago. Magazines were basically the only outlet for women to compare themselves. Now we have the internet, blogs, social media, and constant bombardment reiterating the fact that no one measures up, destroying the self-esteem, value, and self-worth of the American youth. Every value and moral that parents are trying to instill is constantly being challenged by disgusting, disparaging remarks like that of Abercrombie and Fitch CEO Mike Jefferies. In an interview that took place seven years ago, and thanks to this wonderful world technology, was recently brought to light, Mr. Jefferies was quoted as arrogantly and unapologetically revealing the sales practices of Abercrombie and Fitch, “we go after the cool kids… a lot of people don’t belong (in our clothes) and they can’t belong. Are we exclusionary? Absolutely.” The plummet in stock is self-explanatory, as are their ads, clothes are not what are for sale here, and sex is. It is no surprise then, with the unrealistic expectations by set by misleading advertisers that behaviors with sometimes deadly consequences, such as eating disorders are at an all-time high. According to the statistics at the

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