By Kelly Cristine Barbosa Cherulli
Psychologist and Sexologist

Mass media influences audiences with messages embedded in entertainment and information. Communication encompasses many forms of techniques that shape and distort information to exploit our affective process. Electronic media can subliminally induce emotional arousal by inserting poignant messages so as to encourage shallow exploitative consuming. Such subliminal images perpetuate sexism, homophobia and patriarchal power without any consideration of social, psychological or emotional impact. It is said to get and hold the attention of our cognitive processes through manipulative innuendoes.

Soap operas for instance continue to perpetuate women's sexuality as subservient to men's pleasure. People normally don't fit the standard requirements, given the fact that the mass media managed to transform sexuality in sex appeal. Physical attributes are linked to products embracing a commercially churned up notion of aesthetics. Figures imposed are usually unattainable presenting an ideal difficult to achieve and maintain. To turn to media for thought evoking just exacerbates insecurities.

Scenes exposed motivate people to emulate far-fetched fantasies. High-resolution images, as realistic as difficult to distinguish from reality, depict Felliniesque porn-stars hedonistically performing sex scenes, faking for many. In my experience as a shrink, I've listened to countless narratives of patients' real-life experiences in that trying to reenact porn flicks or even romantic scenes to no avail, so much so that paused them to question their dull sex lives. The pornographic industry has influenced demeanors and judgments of just as many. Whereby, bionic archetypes and rugged sculpted bodies, whose computer-generated genitals don't fetch reality standards seemingly doing the rounds triggering people's fantasies. As condescending mortals bound to follow the establishment we are rendered helpless with our non-appealing conditions. Most women's glossy magazines swear by crash diets, fads and snake oil as the source of eternal youth, never mind breaking a sweat. I see myself as slob leading a sedentary life-style, who dreads the thought of fitness by exercising alone. Likewise women, the world over, therefore moved by the looks, we would tap on all sort of fads to barely keep up with trends.

Anyhow, the human sexuality is beyond any given product or trademark. A human being can change his/her body frame, but his/her essence must be upheld. It goes without saying that the self-image of any individual is directly related to self-esteem and confidence, inasmuch as maturity. To know who you are, what you want and acknowledge your needs and limitations are paramount to avert becoming enslaved by the established standards of media. It means that everybody is entitled to dream and make their dreams come true, but the cornerstone of self-gratification is to live up your own reality at its best.