Welcome! Today we’ll explore how images are edited in the media to shape our perceptions. Introduce each editing technique and ask students how it might influence feelings about real bodies.

Explain how photographers and editors use lighting to hide shadows and create a flawless look, then discuss how this idealized lighting can make viewers doubt their own appearance under normal light.

Describe digital airbrushing: point out how pores, freckles, and wrinkles disappear. Ask: “If everyone saw only this flawless skin, how might that affect our self-esteem?”

Show examples of the liquify tool and discuss body reshaping: slimming waists, extending limbs, enlarging eyes. Emphasize that these tools change real proportions.

Point out how boosting saturation and contrast makes features pop. Ask: “Does skin really glow that much, or is it just color enhancement?”

Discuss how backgrounds are cleaned up or completely changed to set a mood. Ask: “How might removing real surroundings affect authenticity?”