نیلوفر نصرتی

Background: Media content plays a significant role in shaping behaviors, attitudes, and lifestyle choices, especially among children, a demographic that is highly impressionable and actively engaged with various media platforms.Aims: This article explores the role of media literacy in equipping children to critically evaluate media content that promotes unhealthy lifestyles, including poor dietary choices, sedentary behavior, celebrity worship and unrealistic body ideals.Methodology: This study employs a qualitative approach, synthesizing data from case studies, government reports, and peer-reviewed academic literature to explore the role of media literacy in fostering healthy lifestyle choices among children.Findings: The findings indicate that current media literacy education programs for children are insufficient, largely because they often fail to include parental education. Parents play a pivotal role as mediators of children’s media consumption, and their active participation in media literacy education strengthens the impact of such interventions. The article argues for an integrated media literacy curriculum targeting both children and parents to create a more comprehensive understanding of healthy lifestyle practices and critical media engagement. Recommendations for policy, educational frameworks, and family-centered interventions are proposed to address these gaps.Conclusions: We emphasize the importance of a holistic approach to media literacy that includes all involved people and bodies in promoting healthier lifestyle choices among children.

The rise of social media has transformed modern communication, creating connectivity and fostering new platforms for self-expression. However, this shift has raised significant concerns about its effects on mental health. This article critically examines the relationship between social media use and mental health. While social media can provide valuable social support and facilitate the sharing of personal achievements, evidence suggests it may also contribute to heightened anxiety, depression, and body dissatisfaction, especially among adolescents and young adults. The article analyzes how social media algorithms, the pressure to present an idealized self-image, and constant comparison with others create an environment where self-esteem and mental well-being are often compromised. Furthermore, the long-term implications of social media use, including its impact on attention spans, social isolation, and self-worth, are discussed. Ultimately, this article emphasizes the importance of understanding and managing social media’s influence on mental health to create healthier digital environments.

The beauty industry in Iran has seen remarkable growth in recent years, fueled by deep-rooted cultural ideals surrounding physical appearance. Many Iranians, as idealists, strive to meet high standards of beauty, a pursuit that has led to the booming of various beauty industries, including cosmetics, skincare, and plastic surgery. While the desire to look beautiful is often associated with social acceptance and personal confidence, the pursuit of beauty in Iran also has significant health consequences. Drawing on a review of existing literature, industry reports, and cultural studies, the study explores how beauty standards in Iran influence individual health, both physically and psychologically. Our results show that the pressures to conform to societal beauty standards can lead to an obsession with appearance, which, in turn, may result in mental health challenges such as anxiety, body dysmorphia, and depression. This article argues that while the beauty business thrives on society's idealistic vision of attractiveness, it comes at a cost. The commodification of beauty has not only reshaped cultural values but also introduced health risks that must be critically assessed.