Original scientific paper
Media-Influenced Development of Self Image of a Young Person and the Possibility of Suicide
Mateja Centa
; Faculty of Theology in Ljubljana, Slovenia
Abstract
The paper addresses some of the negative aspects of the consumerist media society, which creates a possibility of moral evil, especially if one reflects on the negative development of self-image of young people. In many of such cases the loss of a meaning of life can be at first sight seen as a cause behind a decision for suicide of a young person. In the paper I argue that the relation between such a media-influenced environment on the one hand and the meaning of life and suicide on the other is multi-faceted, in the sense that media society can directly trigger the decision for suicide or indirectly negatively impact on the formation of basic values involved in the meaning of life and healthy self-image.
In the first section I will discuss selected aspects of the consumerist media society, which is predominantly characterized by shaping of our abilities of reflection and decision-making with a clear goal of creating perceived needs in consumers. This heavily influences self-image and its development. In the second section I turn to connection between the meaning of life (or better, to the loss of if) and suicide, especially in relation to a difference between suicide of a young person and an adult. In conclusion I connect both of these phenomena.
Keywords
consumerism; young person; suicide; meaning of life; decision; self-image; media; emotions
Hrčak ID:
115432
URI
Publication date:
30.1.2014.
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