Have you ever seen an advertisement and wondered what was actually being advertised? The man with six-pack abs, or the hotel in the background? The tall and slender looking women wearing revealing clothes or the glass of wine that she is drinking?

With media being very influential in the modern world, it bombards society with unconfirmed hypotheses of femininity and masculinity. The world is getting so superficial that a person is judged by their external appearances. The flesh and skin that wrap up the soul are objectified and treated merely as sexual objects. Women have been objectified for a very long time. The history has witnessed females being viewed merely as sources of pleasure for men. Even though the modern world has progressed to respect the views of a woman, the generality for an ideal female body still exists. While she is expected to behave a certain way, she also needs to have a figure that is acceptable in  society.

Men’s bodies are objectified more than they ever were. Actors on television have well-built bodies with abs and are considered appealing. Various medias such as films, soap operas, magazines and music videos are molding the ideals for a human body. It is rare to see both men and women out of shape having a lead role. This is putting pressure on the world to try to look a certain way. The phenomenon is leading to body shaming, eating disorders and psychological problems. Objectification of people is therefore a negative catalyst for the progression of society.

Respecting people as they are is the foremost foundation to equality in the society. Instead of asking people to focus on their outer appearances, they should rather be inspired to realize their potential that helps overcome more serious problems of the world. Every person is beautiful and attractive in their own way. The society should absolutely have no right to decide on what kind of body figure is appealing.

Since the media has a major role in objectifying people and setting standards for them, the problem can be solved for the most part with the help of the media. Portraying women as a constructive and intelligent species helps eliminate serious problems of objectification-like sexual abuse. Similarly, if families change their mindsets and educate their members to respect people as they are, the problem can definitely be marginalized. The call also lies with every individual. With small steps in daily life, one should learn to detach themselves from rooted beliefs and learn to stop treating people of the opposite sex only as toys.

After all, a person is not just what the mirror reflects. Like the precious minerals buried in the earth crust, human values are buried inside their physical appearances, which should be dug up and used for the greater glory of humanity. After all, every human person is a breathing, living masterpiece with dreams and amazing talents. We should stop seeing ourselves as body parts and instead be viewed as minerals who can be refined into a gem.