Excellence in Humanities Award Session
Taking a stand: How women are saying no to Photoshop
University
Shawnee State University
Major
English with a Communication Concentration
Presentation Types
Oral Presentation
Keywords:
Photoshop, mass media, beauty standards, content analysis
Abstract
The usage of Photoshop and other photo editing tools to severely manipulate and distort the physical appearance of women has been largely criticized within the past decade as mass media forms have grown. Many social media users have taken to popular applications such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and TikTok to express their dislike of these editing practices. Other research has proven how Photoshop and the continuous exposure to unrealistic beauty standards (i.e. the thin ideal) can have negative effects on both the mental and physical health of those absorbing these images. Using content analysis as my method, this research looks at and interprets data in the form of TikTok comments acquired from a popular body positivity influencer, Spencer Barbosa. This research seeks to examine how women engage with social media posts that are critical of Photoshop and photo editing.
Human Subjects
no
IRB Approval
no
Faculty Mentor Name
Dr. Marc Scott
Faculty Mentor Title
PHD
Faculty Mentor Academic Department
English and Humanities
Recommended Citation
Boland, Aubrey, "Taking a stand: How women are saying no to Photoshop" (2022). Celebration of Scholarship. 1.
https://digitalcommons.shawnee.edu/cos/2022/humanities/1
Taking a stand: How women are saying no to Photoshop
The usage of Photoshop and other photo editing tools to severely manipulate and distort the physical appearance of women has been largely criticized within the past decade as mass media forms have grown. Many social media users have taken to popular applications such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and TikTok to express their dislike of these editing practices. Other research has proven how Photoshop and the continuous exposure to unrealistic beauty standards (i.e. the thin ideal) can have negative effects on both the mental and physical health of those absorbing these images. Using content analysis as my method, this research looks at and interprets data in the form of TikTok comments acquired from a popular body positivity influencer, Spencer Barbosa. This research seeks to examine how women engage with social media posts that are critical of Photoshop and photo editing.