The body is a powerful tool: it shows us who we are and who we want to be. Images of the body are just as powerful. The media uses bodies to sell anything from cars to food. Although this media tool is very successful, it has drawbacks in today's world and is often very negative towards people's bodies. Just stand in line at a mall and you'll find yourself surrounded by magazines advertising weight loss plans, fashion and the best diet to follow. The media uses this tool to their advantage: the promise of a good life lies in those who have beautiful bodies. If you are slim, tall and have perfect skin, you are guaranteed to have a good career, a successful marriage, perfect children and the best furniture. Often, people find themselves striving for the perfect body image, which is virtually unattainable. Media outlets have found many ways to implement that “perfect” image, most often with Photoshop. Often the image we see on the magazine has been cropped and toned, and the person on the cover doesn't look like that in real life. Social media has created negative pressure that can affect people's body image, self-esteem, and physical and mental health. We all have a perception of ourselves - of what we are and what we want to be. These are often guided and influenced by social media. In an article by R. Kay Green, CEO and President of RKG Marketing Solutions, states that we have a "real self" (who we are) and an "ideal self" (who we want to be), and what these two become Me. when we go on the Internet. “Consider the fact that on social media sites we view our profiles as presentations of who we are. Therefore, through interaction with the social environment, the real and ideal selves intersect; and the ideal...... middle of paper ...... Body image. " - The Media Lies. Np, nd Web. January 27, 2014. " Bones so fragile it would be impossible to walk and room for only half a liver: Shocking research reveals what life would be like if a REAL woman had a Barbie body. "Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, April 14, 2013. Web. February 9, 2014." Parents can help. » WebMD. WebMD, nd Web. January 29, 2014. “Society causes low self-esteem | Bear Facts." Bear Facts. Np, nd. Web. January 29, 2014. Meikle, James. "A growing number of girls suffer from low self-esteem." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, November 29, 2013. Web . January 29, 2014. Green, R. Kay. “The Social Media Effect: Are You Really Who You Represent Online?” The Huffington Post, August 7, 2013. Web, January 26, 2014. “The Ugly Truth About?” body dysmorphic disorder” The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, February 26, 2010. Web. January 29.. 2014.