Beauty Standards

Perfect body, perfect hair, and perfect abs. These are the norms my brother tried (and failed) to recreate. When I say recreate, I do mean recreate, what else can you say about the Instagram supermodel who also has perfectly blinding white, straight teeth? Seriously, it's like he descended straight from a toothpaste ad. While unobtainable golden criteria exist for all genders, women are often presented with more unrealistic and absurd expectations, often beauty standards.

     To make matters worse, modern media and social networks have made the craving to be ‘liked’ by the general public so fierce, that it can lead to fatal injuries. Wanting to ‘fit in’ is an innate characteristic of humans, completely normal and healthy, but blown up on a massive, global scale was previously unimaginable. Suddenly, the pressure to blend in with others no longer comes from a small group of friends and community but rather squeezes itself upon one from all corners of the earth. This spread of fantasy across such a vast number of people has proven to be deadly. The emotional connection and basis of thought women inherently carry create a rougher terrain for young girls. Teen female suicide rates were reported to reach a 40-year high in 2015. Researchers found that girls regularly exposed to a few hours of social media were much more susceptible to suicide. Girls were found to be more emotionally attached to posts and therefore the public’s reaction to such posts than teenage boys. As the world continues to develop and create newer, more ridiculous, beauty standards, a desperation to be recognized and liked drives these young girls further and further. 

Obsession with online worlds and online characters roots deeper and deeper into their minds, eventually compromising their daily activities. Teens who spend time on social media have been manifesting mental disorders, with many leading to premature death. Idealistic body standards set by social media have, in many cases, caused eating disorders and obsession over body shape and weight. Modern youth have long forgotten to love themselves, rather, they chase after fantastical ideas, hoping to drag them into reality. But rather than hoping for a fantasy to come real, we should live in this beautiful world we call home. And swearing off the internet isn’t what I mean by that. I mean celebrating all different body types and paying attention to the world around us, our very real and very unique world, instead of obsessing over filling the same mold set by online beauty standards.