Social learning

Social learning explains why society acts a certain way; why teenage boys in this era are way bigger and muscular than in previews decades.  Media today depicts the protagonist of films and models in commercials as these muscular men that everyone wants to be. In effect, young viewers do want to look this way and try to achieve these looks at any cost.

In class, Professor Straubhaar gave an example of the GI Joe action figure, how the toy started to change over the years. How the makers started to make the action figures resemble a big muscular man.  The example shows us how from a small age we start seeing muscular figures in movies, commercials, and toys. Therefore in recent times, the rate of teenagers taking steroids and supplements has sky rocketed. Media tries to appeal to us by showing us images of muscular guys always having a good time and surrounded by attractive looking girls.   

       Another example is the proactive commercial and one of their slogans, “Clear skin is sexy skin”; so according to this commercial if you do not have perfect skin, you are unattractive. This commercial airs daily on our televisions, therefore people start believing these statements causing them to take action and try to imitate the celebrities in the commercials. If results are not achieved, people may fall into depression because in their mind they are unacceptable due to the repetition of all this perfect “people” that the media portrays every day to society.