HLPE 1540 REFLECTIVE JOURNAL 1 | Victoria Johns

Out of all the countless discussion of health issues within this topic so far, the
idea that modern society is moulding and shaping we way we think about health,
caused me to think greater into this particular idea from thereon after (HLPE
1540, week 3). From the first reading by Germov, we were first introduced on the
idea that society is possibly shaping the way we think about overall health
(Germov 2013, pg 8). Originally, my idea of good health was general overall
happiness both mentally, physically and spiritually and that no one can really
change the way we all think about health, and that I was purely and individual
and diverse meaning. This really hasnt changed throughout the topic thus far as
I still believe strongly that those are the main aspects in good health. However,
during HLPE 1540 week 3, we were told to choose out health pictures on social
media. Before this task, I was confident that media and society hadnt influenced
me and my thoughts on health and health education. Looking at pictures found
in under 2 minutes on all social media fronts, proved to me that the number one
issue facing social media today is the false world facing our billions of media
users. Teenagers, especially going through puberty are heavily influenced by
what they see on social media, and that fact is based on personal experience
and hearing experiences from others. What I believe teenagers want the most is
a good body, great clothes and the chance to fit it. I did, however, originally
think that social media had little to no effect on the brain of adolescent
teenagers but after reading through Germov and reading We are all influenced
by the social structure (Germov 2013, pg 8), I came to the mental realisation
that media is heavily influencing us. This changed me in many ways with my
thinking. I now constantly make mental connection with what I see on social
media and the way others think about health. Overall, through social media and
our modern society effecting us mentally, especially teenagers, this has shaped
and moulded our individual ideas on health, especially the false online world
social media provides.

REFERANCE LIST:
Germov, J 2013, Second opinion: An introduction to health sociology, 5 edn,
Oxford University Press, Oxford, accessed 23 March 2016,
<http://flinders.eblib.com.ezproxy.flinders.edu.au/patron/FullRecord.aspx?
p=1986008&echo=1&userid=5Pr6VdS9EqBwGzcndgSLIw%3d
%3d&tstamp=1458715263&id=6D393361B64B9F37FA70B48D7BB4054826ABD2
5B>.

Student ID 2156788
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