Adolescents and body cult: The influence of Internet advertising in search of the idealised male

Abstract

This article presents the results of a research aimed at studying whether the vision of advertising images of defined masculine models influences the corporal perception of male adolescents and how they find in the Internet a reinforcement of this ideal of beauty. As study methodologies, in order to analyse the influence on body perception, an experimental study was conducted with 552 adolescents using techniques of viewing ads and surveys and content analysis to assess the information offered by the Internet on issues related to achieving a muscular body. The results show the remarkable influence of viewing of defined bodies in male adolescents and the unconscious use they make of the Internet to seek information and recommendations in this regards.