With our world constantly changing, each generation is growing up differently than the one before it. Some people think that our younger generations are being exposed to the media, social networking and different outlets that are corrupting them and influencing them in negative ways. Sally Mann's photo, "Candy Cigarette" has been one of the most iconic photographs of the 20th century. In the photograph, a young girl is photographed holding a cigarette and looking at the camera while two other children are in the background with their backs facing towards the camera. This photo depicts the corruption of youth and the urgency for them to grow up. By analyzing the color, contrast, and positioning of the elements in this photograph, it can help determine the underlying message that this photograph is trying to display.

When looking at the photograph, the first thing the viewer is drawn to is the young girl in a white dress. The girl's dress is a very bright white which makes her the main focus of the image. The cigarette she is holding is also white. Both of these contrast with the darker background which highlights these particular aspects of the photo. The color of her dress can also be seen as a contradiction with the cigarette. White often symbolizes purity, and people often think of children as innocent and pure, but the cigarette suggests the opposite about the girl. While she is clearly young, the image she is giving off is not that of a young child. Her stance is one of the main things that stands out. The way she is standing with her arms crossed and holding the cigarette gives off a very unapproachable vibe. Her facial expression, messy hair and the attitude she portrays is that of an adult or a rebellious teenager. These characteristics give off a sense of rebellion and an urgency to grow up. Her separation from the other two children in the photograph suggests that she doesn't want to be associated with them.

To the right of the girl, we can see another little girl who has her back facing towards the camera. We can assume that she is also very young by her size, but she gives off a much more childish image with her ponytail, curly hair and sparkly dress. Her stance is also gives off much more of a youthful image. She is standing with her hands on her hips looking the opposite direction, as if maybe she's waiting for something in the distance. Since the girls dress is dark, she blends into the background more and isn't a focal point in the picture, unlike the girl in the white dress.

In the very back of the photograph to the left, we can see what appears to be a little boy playing with a pair of stilts. While the background of the picture is very out of focus, his shirt makes him stand out. His shirt is a very bright white, much like the girls dress, but he is not nearly as noticeable. The fact that he's playing with stilts gives him the characteristics of a child. He is also facing the opposite direction as the girl, with his back facing the camera. Although all three of the children in this photograph seem to be very close in age, the girl in the white dress gives off a completely different vibe than the two other children.

One detail that stands out is the positioning of the two other kids in comparison to the girl in the white dress. We can see that she is positioned in the middle of them while the other young girl is farther behind and the little boy is even farther in the background. The girl in the white dress is looking towards us, while the other two are looking away. This could be seen as a representation of the children taking two different paths. The girl in the white dress is choosing to do something dangerous and something unusual for her young age, while the other two children seem to still contain their youthful spirits. They appear to be going opposite ways on the path. It seems as if she's walking down the wrong path characterized by bad decisions, while the other two children are walking down the right path that leads them to good decisions. The fact that this photo is photographed in black and white also gives it a very intense and serious feeling. The contrast of the black and white allows for certain elements of the photograph to stand out more than others.

A visual text has the power to convey a message that sometimes words can't. This photo can be seen in many different ways. It gives viewers the power to analyze and interpret the picture in their own way. It can be seen as foreshadowing, corruption, or the maturity of youth. Maybe it is not that the young girl is making bad decisions now, but will in her future. The other two children in the background looking down the path could also be seen as looking into their future, which appears to lead them in a different direction than the girl in the white dress. Corruption can obviously be seen by the fact that she is a child and has a cigarette in her hand. It can even be seen in a way that children are maturing and growing up too fast. No matter how you look at this photo, there are many interpretations that can be taken away from it. It invites viewers to look deeply at it and try to understand its meaning. From just looking at the photograph we can see that it is about children, but after analyzing it we can understand the deeper meaning portrayed. With access to the media, internet, and social networking, it's easy for our youth to be influenced by the things they see. When children are exposed to those kinds of things, it gives them an urgency to grow up. It's important that we make sure that our changing society isn't corrupting our youth and forcing them to grow up faster than they should.
