Digital Supermodels—Fake it Till You Make It

Nikki Williams

June 15, 2018

https://www.digitalethics.org/essays/digital-supermodels-fake-it-till-you-make-it

"Walking Along the Online Runway"

First Impression:

Digital supermodels reminds me of people who go to great lengths to become popular online ---i.e., either by use of plastic surgery or rather in this case, creating a fake identity and possibly use of photo manipulation like removing pimples from one's face or turning one's fat self into a hourglass busty figure; frankly, it's just sad to see that sort of thing. 

Quote: 

“I think we are in an age where authenticity is getting harder to find.”

Reflection Proper:

This essay reminds me of the "Digital Bodies" essay, or rather the fact still remains that one of the many common things that people do when it comes to popularity and social media is the concept of "faking it". In this case, the essay about digital supermodels is basically giving people a whole meaning to the world "crazy", as in not only this sort of thing sparks such things like people wanting to become 'her', be like 'her', or 'know', but can't never be since 'she' is a computer-generated model, but still resort to even more extreme measures; heck even more extreme than 'starvation diets' that supermodels are most familiar with. Plus, CG models, or computer-generated digital supermodels, gives an open door to many unethical issues that are well-known in today's society, like false advertising. This is much as I know and also including information from the article itself: when it comes to such issues, let's face it, people are easily influenced nowadays, not to mention somewhat close to the word "gullible", like say, people see a product that can lose weight instantly in a snap, then they buy it, then either of the following happens: the product works, the product doesn't work, or the product works but in the worse possible way one can think of, like gaining more weight, or people can be influenced by others without even realizing that they are talking to a fictional persona. In the case of CG models, when people see something like that, they will do something like this: they will believe anything in an instant without hesitation on what tips the model tells them to gain a figure like that, for they are dying for a body like that, or something like the concept of "catfishing" comes to mind for it involves luring someone unsuspecting into an online relationship by means of a fake persona. So in my opinion on this issue is that hopefully people nowadays aren't suckers for that sort of thing; best to be careful and think twice than being sorry, especially in this society where fake personas are a thing.

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5 Things Learned From Article: 

1. I learned about digital supermodels.

2. I learned that digital supermodels can lead to such things like false advertising and "catfishing"

3. I learned that CG models are an extreme corruption of public relations.

4. I learned that creation of CF models can't be prevented . 

5. I learned that it's best to be careful and to know the truth about everything thrown into our lives all the time before we get into something unavoidable and terrible.

5 Integrative Questions:

1. Why are CG models even created in the first place ?

2. What's your opinion on CG models?

3. If you are given the chance to change CG model creation for the better, what would be your suggestion on this?

4. How can you convince companies with CG models about the dangers and the representation of CG models to the populace nowadays?

5. How do you distinguish or manage between the lines of virtual and real life nowadays, in your own opinion?