Both men and women are feeling more pressure now than ever before to care about how they look. Allure and GQ Magazines conducted a poll and found that 72% of men and 78% of women are more concerned with their physical appearances now than they were ten years ago. Why the change? I belive it's direclty linked to the internet, which bombards them with thousands of advertisements per minute.

There is more information, more visual stimulation, more product awareness and more fuel for our youth-obsessed culture. 66% of men studied by Allure and GQ admit to using more grooming products than their fathers did. Going “metro” is becoming a more accepted behavior and style. Men (and women) can more easily research personal grooming products online, and through social media collaborations from the comfort of their own homes.

This phenomenon especially concerns the younger generations, as they’re quickly growing more internet savvy than their predecessors. Hence the obsession with looking younger. Access to information online is becoming faster and faster, allowing people to get audio or video news quicker and easier. Technology experts also predict:

• keyword video advertising will become increasingly popular, allowing people to see a product or service before purchasing it

• video ads will be sent to cell phones

• people will be enveloped in richer multimedia experiences, causing new generations to be effected in various ways.

The future of online advertising looks bright and exciting. Social media and the internet will continue to have major effects on multiple industries, banking, politics, and personal grooming.

How has the internet changed your lifestyle?