There is no doubt that women today present more [body image issues] and those who watched the [reality] show were particularly affected and moved to “inspirational action.” Though the world of self esteem has always been an age-old challenge, the concept of self esteem either comes from the world of promotion or attraction.

When we “promote” we tend to “shoot up our self esteem” and then promote to the world how “good we look.” The external becomes the indicator for how good we feel. It is a classic example of codependency; people being gauged by other persons, places and/or things. Unfortunately, in the world of promotion, the person(s) we are trying to impress, even ourselves, usually feels the phenomena of buyer’s remorse. No one likes to be sold something that is not authentic or true.

When we are in the world of “attraction,” it is a much more internal world of peace, serenity and contentment, where the light emanates from within, we need not impress or sell but can settle back and usually people will come that person because they feel safe and the person has “what they want.” Unfortunately in 2010, often this is the exception and not the rule.

Though codependency and addictions have been with us probably since the beginning of time, teens today are even more stimulated to want immediate results. The social media world is even diminishing to 140 characters, projected out in the Universe and forgotten just as quickly. Young adults and teens are digitally inclined, and reality shows appear to have even more impact as our world of intimacy diminishes. Instead of living and valuing the life of attraction, we have fast become reactive and impulsive. Reality shows play into that well. The producers and networks though, as Hollywood is notorious for, is dealing in anything but “reality.” Reality shows are highly edited and pander to the viewer in a very superficial and “non-reality” way.

Hollywood has always been sending messages that women need to lose weight or need not grow older. Today they have a much more receptive, digitally-dialed in audience with lower self esteem; preferring to live through the lives of others than live their own life. Though girls are measured in this study as responding with much greater zeal, boys are presenting in greater numbers today with eating disorders. That should surprise no one, as the magazines, television shows and images are showing men’s bodies with “washboard abs,” greater muscle mass and boringly handsome.

In the world of low self esteem, the teens that want it now because they live in an age where reading a message is much more preferable than reading a book—where intimacy occurs in 140 characters or less—it is no wonder that so many believe these shows to be inspirational.

www.demodirt.com

www.drjamie.com