Can you hear this image?

The media's presence in daily life is virtually unavoidable; advertisements, movies, TV shows, are few of the many channels of influence the media has over society. This influence has dictated what is considered socially acceptable in modern times. Having such a hold over society can have lasting effects.

People strive to create the ideal image for themselves because they want to feel belonged or accepted in a world full of different people. Taking this to their advantage, industries such as the fashion and beauty industry thrive. The modeling industry is a field with the least-yet the most restrictions: being tall and skinny. They strive to create and uphold an ideal image of beauty; the fantasy of what is considered beautiful. In a similar way, the beauty or cosmetic industry also promotes products that will make a person look "better" or "more beautiful." As a result, a very toxic environment is created in which a person actually ends up feeling more excluded than ever, seeing as these expectations crafted by big industries are virtually impossible to meet.

As the nature of creating one all-encompassing image calls for, many features, people, or humanistic characteristics are excluded underrepresented in the media. The disabled may feel this under representation the most, which is an unfair reality. Nancy Mairs is an activist who doesn't let her battle with multiple sclerosis define her. In her essay, Disability, she relates, "I've been consciously searching for representation of myself in the media," yet confesses "I haven't noticed any women like me on television." Mairs demonstrates the reality of the existence of under representation in the media. As an activist, she is the voice of so many who cannot speak, one of those reasons being the fact that there is no audience to listen to them. Everyone is tuned into the few channels made available to their influence, and the media does speak with great eloquence for sure. They have just made their audience deaf to every pitch in between.