Self-esteem means the positivity of a person’s self-concept. For example, a person who has a low self-esteem thinks that they will not perform well in a certain task. Then, on the other hand, a person who has a high self-esteem thinks the opposite and might think even a bit more of them. Often self-esteem is related to the acceptance of others.
Marketing communications can influence in a person’s self-esteem. It can trigger a social comparison and dissemination of ideal images between people. This is usually because of the advertisements we see. Often it’s an attractive model using different kinds of products such as mascara or lotion.
Also, it’s common that the economic situation mirrors the ideals that people form. When the economic situation is a bit better people prefer to mature features and in a depression, the preference is to less mature features.
To achieve these features that people desire and look up to, people are willing to go extreme. In some cases people rely on plastic surgery, to get instant effects, but in some cases when one’s body image is distorted the risks are for example different kinds of eating disorders. Also, the westernized way to advertise and usage of photo alteration programs, such as Photoshop, almost too much in some cases, doesn’t encourage people to think things in a “normal way”… On the other hand what is the normal way to think things in general?