Sexualization of women in digital photography

Abstract

The sexualization of women in photography slowly emerged onto the World Wide Web in the previous years and seems to have spread with the rise of social media and sites such as Facebook and Instagram. These social media platforms allow people to share and comment on photos with friends, family and strangers. In digital photography, women are made to wear clothes or no clothes so that they can look attractive in front of the camera especially models which is actually wrong. A woman could actually look good in a photo without her being nude or half nude. In modern society, our minds have been set to believe that sexualization of women plus also men in photos is normal which is also wrong. Sexualization of women in photography can also be in music videos where women are used as vixens so as to make more money in the video. The vixens are always actually half nude or nude and some might say it is women empowerment. People no longer care about the content of the music video but just the half nude women in the videos hence the women in the video are looked at as sex objects. I conducted this study because with increase in the sexualization of women, it may lead to negative consequences for women in the society. Finding that the viewing of sexually objectifying material can contribute to body dissatisfaction, low self-esteem and depression. Surprisingly, in a digital world in which body language and body parts are continually at risk of being sexualized, this interactive project illustrates how digital photographs of women’s hands can be used to speak out in a positive, creative and empowering way about girl’s and women’s perceptions of sexuality. Sexualization basically means making something sexual in a character or quality or to become aware of sexuality especially in relation to men and women. Sexualization is linked to objectification. The sexualization of women in digital photography. In this modern world, women are often portrayed as objects and their self-worth is depicted through their appearance. Objectification theory states that women even see themselves as objects to be viewed in photographs and used as opposed to seeing themselves as a full person. As a result of this objectification, women also believe their self-worth is based on their appearance and not internal characteristics such as their personalities.