As a result, eating disorders are trendier than ever, currently ranking at it's highest percentage ever; indicating a significant influence from media on society.
An individuals identity has generally been defined by specific character traits and unique experiences, yet societies influence on ones identity is undeniable. In each generation there are different values which its member's inevitably adopt, and commonly identify with. As a result, human expression from a specific time period, whether it be art or advertising, usually reflects this common value. For instance, in Roman times, when the human body was revered as G-D like, the artwork produced, primarily depicted humans in the nude. .
The turn of the century was a time of great change for humanity. Technology's role in society continued to evolve; severely altering the consciousness and lifestyles which people had become accustomed to. The industrial revolution and it's factory system had completely revolutionized the human concept of efficiency, inspiring an endless range of utopian predictions for the future, citing technology as humanities savior. The North American Review observed: "Our whole human existence is being transformed by electricity." Indeed, the advances being made technologically were not isolated. In fact, many historians note this time period as the major catalyst for trends of Urbanization and Feminism. However, in the year 2002, while technology, industrialization, and urbanization continues to progress, and evolve in a similar direction, the social perception of women has seemed to fluctuate, and digress, as a result of advertiser's interests. .
The revolution had for the first time created the notion of an independent woman. Women had traditionally been regarded as inferior to men physically and intellectually; both law and theology had ordered their subjection. Clearly change was needed. Feminist uprisings dated back to the French Revolution, yet at that point not much had been accomplished to indicate promise.
