A Warning,
I will not lie and say that this post is humorous or all that positive. But I will say it is one of the most intense and impactful interactions with digital ads I have ever interacted with.
I Was Only 10
I had the family laptop working on my homework and occasionally wandering to YouTube that I saw the ad. A video showing very slim, blonde, busty women in bikinis. In this ad, a voice-over talked about how beautiful I would be if I was thinner. It said people would like me more. It said I would be happier.
I thought about the girls at cheer practice, and how I was so much bigger than them, how small their arms were. I thought about how I could never keep up with my classmates in gym. I believed the ad, and I clicked the link
Fat-shaming + Internalized Capitalism
On that sight, I saw even more models. I saw even more big perfectly straight, blindingly white, pouty lip smiles. A flashing box popped up and told me there was a sale, for 25% off when you order 2 or more.
It was at this point, I felt like I got a deal and had to see about getting it. To my horror, they were not cheap despite the deal, and all my money was in a piggy bank.
From then on, I struggled with my worth and my weight, as if they were directly connected. I have never had those pills, and I never will. I no longer want them, nor would they have helped me in the past. I have learned my worth isn’t my weight. But I still remember how badly wanted those pills. I know the impact of an ad can be, the danger is why I am pursuing it so passionately.
