Imagine one day that you lose your television, your radio, that your telephone no longer receives reception and that your computer does not turn on. You lost your music, your favorite TV show, your Facebook and much more. As you can see, media is very important and popular. Media has been a popular creation over the decades. Over time, media has expanded, from magazines to television to the Internet. Media in our society is everywhere. We see it everywhere, from waking up to going to bed. We wake up, have breakfast and then turn on the television or read the newspaper. From the car or subway ride, you could see the subway system infested with advertisements. At school, when you use the computer or read magazines, you are using media. When you get home, you either turn on your TV or play your video games. Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, MSN, Hotmail, Gmail are just some of the social networking sites we use today. What is the media? Media are the means of communication that reach or influence people. The media can help us disseminate information. For example, about the earthquake in Haiti, we would not know anything about it without the media. Media helps us disseminate information, entertain us throughout our lives and even communicate. The media also helps people affected by natural disasters. Without them, thousands of dollars could not be raised. People would have no idea what is going on in the world without the media. You wouldn't know if there was a crime near you or if there was traffic on the 401. The media is extremely influential, but it can harm society. For example, violence in the media has increased. Today, violence is more frequent, especially against children. Violence is pervasive ... middle of paper ...... h people learn to place value on the size and shape of their bodies. Media messages like advertising and celebrity spotlights help our culture define what is beautiful and what is "good", the power of media on developing our self-esteem and body image can be incredibly powerful . For example, following the introduction of Western television to Fiji, the rate of eating disorders increased significantly. This situation is doomed to continue if the media do not stop perpetuating harmful messages about attractiveness. As many people struggle to maintain a healthy weight, we lose the realistic perception of what a healthy weight is supposed to be. Today's version of perfection, slim but muscular, is a very demanding standard that women and men must meet. But ask yourself: “If these bodies are impossible to achieve, how can you not feel bad about your own body? ??”