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The Negative Effects of False Advertising

With the rise of image editing programs like photoshop and airbrushing, false advertising has become an international normality among the advertising world.  The United States’ emphasis on freedom of speech has caused false advertising to be disregarded and neglected.  Vague and relaxed advertising regulations enable advertisers to use photoshop to airbrush and enhance their models and advertisements without disclosure.  Advertisers have created unrealistic perceptions of beauty and body images through their use of photoshop on models and as a result, the United States is the leading country for mortality rates due to eating disorders.

The first versions of photoshop were introduced in the summer of 1987 by independent creators, Thomas and John Knoll (Thomas & John Knoll). In 1990, the brothers finalized their innovative program and soon sold it to Adobe.  The first version of photoshop, released two decades ago, only has a quarter of the functionality that today’s photoshop possesses.  Adobe’s photoshop program has evolved over the years and become a dominant tool in the advertising industry.  Today, photoshop has the capability to recolor, reshape and resize images, making it popular for advertisers aiming to create the “perfect” picture.

Photoshop has recently become a must have component in the advertising industry. Before the Knoll brothers created the photoshop program, photograph advertisements consisted of a simple picture, featuring unedited models.  The simplicity of these advertisements changed as photoshop developed and progressed into a time where the media is a hugely influential force in society.  Image editing now has the ability to completely manipulate a photograph, for example by overlaying someones head onto a different body (Rubin).  Now that image editing, like photoshop and airbrushing, have become international norms, advertisers feel that they must use these programs and tools to keep up in the competitive industry of advertising.  Today, the question doesn’t seem to be whether to alter an image, but to what degree.  Models in advertisements now appear to have flawless skin, stick thin figures, and unnaturally large eyes and lips.

These false advertisements have led to an unreal perception of beauty within our world.

One of the most negative effects of false advertising is the distorted perception of beauty that encourages primarily young women towards an unrealistic “Barbie Doll” image.   In America, there are no laws that require advertising companies to disclose when image editing is used in their ads (Minsberg).  In the United States specifically, false advertising has negatively affected the health of the population, because people are unaware that advertisers alter the models used in their ads.  Girls see models in makeup and clothing advertisements that have stick thin waist lines and these young women starve themselves to attempt to look the same.  Society advertises that in order to be beautiful you must be thin, corrupting young and innocent minds.  Because this disfigured perception of what it means to be beautiful has plagued the media and advertising world, the United States has the highest mortality rate due to eating disorders.  An estimated 8 million individuals in the United States suffer from eating disorders and about 1.6 million of those individuals will die of complications due to their disorder (Mortality Rates- Eating Disorder Statistics by Country).  Unfortunately, this issue will continue to contaminate and disrupt our population as long as false advertising is prominent in society.

Because of issues like these within the United States, other countries have taken a stand against the use of excessive and unrealistic airbrushing.  In March of 2012, Israel successfully passed legislation that put limits on airbrushing in fashion ads.  The bill states that all advertisers must label photographs that have been retouched and all models used in advertisements must have a BMI (body mass index) of at least 18.5, a minimum weight that the World Health Organization considers healthy (Geuss).  Models with a BMI lower than this would be declined job offers and instructed to get medical help. This was a monumental step in the advertising industry as Israel was one of the first countries to officially pass laws placing regulation on image editing. Other countries like Australia have attempted to take a stand against airbrushing as well (Geuss).  These countries are attempting to protect their people from the harsh and unrealistic advertising world by making sure advertisers employ healthy models and clearly state when they have altered an ad.

Unfortunately, the United States is unable to pass laws similar to these due to the emphasis on freedom of speech, which is included as one of the five freedoms stated in the First Amendment of our Constitution (US Const. amend. I. (amended 1791)).  Because the United States values upholding this right, the government feels they are unable to pass laws that limit advertisers and the ads they produce (Minsberg).  If the government attempted to pass these laws they would likely face lawsuits and hostility from large ad companies and rights activists.  Instead, the United States government separates itself from this issue and turns its back on false advertising.  The prominent “issue” that is holding the United States back from making the same changes as other countries, like Israel and Australia, is freedom of speech.

Although as a country the United States is doing little to limit and control the epidemic of false advertising, this problem still upsets many Americans.  An article written shortly after Israel’s legislation passed, titled “How Some Countries Limit Airbrushed Advertisements” states that “celebrities, companies, and several countries are taking a stand against excessive and unrealistic airbrushing” (Roberts).  Companies like Dove have created campaigns to counter this distorted beauty image and reveal the hidden truth behind the excessive editing that goes into creating an advertisement.  In 2006, Dove released a short film titled Evolution, to reveal the unknown image editing process that goes into a single beauty ad (The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty).  They featured an average woman who went through hours of hair and make-up before her picture was taken. The picture was then edited on the computer using photoshop until the model was almost unrecognizable. Shocked viewers watched as they realized that the flawless women in these beauty ads were created by photoshop.  Companies like Dove and others slowly take a stand against false advertising to inform the population of adverse effects.

Photoshopping and airbrushing in particular have caused a problem within the United States due to the fake beauty and body image that is advertised.  Although Dove has had a large impact on redefining beauty worldwide, they can only do so much.  Freedom of speech is being abused as advertisers alter their images without disclosure and there is no true fix for this issue.  Though Dove has worked for 10 years to promote their campaign for real beauty, legal progress on image editing within advertising will not be made until the whole country mobilizes to support this vital issue.