In South Korean shopping malls, teenage girls line up at photo machines that provide high-tech makeovers with options including glamour lighting, a hair-blowing breeze, and virtual plastic surgery that includes such enhancements as puffed lips, eradication of blemishes, and Western-style eyelids. What would be the best description of how these photo machines use concepts of the self to attract customers?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The photo machines appeal to a gap between the customers' ideal and actual selves. By providing options for virtual plastic surgery and other enhancements, the machines suggest that the customers' actual selves are not good enough and need improvement in order to match their ideal selves. This creates a desire for the products or services that can help bridge this gap.

In South Korean Shopping Malls, Teenage Girls Line Up at Photo