Social media is a big part of our society and is one of the biggest platforms where women and young girls get their view on how women are supposed to look like. The appearance of a woman says everything about her according to society. Society wants women to have a curvy body with a thigh gap, a small waist, luscious lips, no cellulite, big breasts and a big butt and the list goes on and on. It doesn’t help that celebrities are being praised for their bodies when no one actually knows what they get done to look a certain way. Many women believe that by achieving the look portrayed by celebrities and models, it will make men want them more. The fact that most women will do things to change their appearance for the approval of others and not themselves is very alarming. This creates extremely negative and toxic expectations for women.
There’s an increasing amount of pressure for women to look a certain way that is accepted by everyone. Young girls and women will go to certain extremes in order to achieve these beauty standards that they think will make them more accepted by everyone. Some will turn to eating disorders while others will turn to plastic surgery to change their appearance. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, “since 2000, overall procedures have risen 115 percent, but the types of procedures patients are choosing are changing.” This just goes to show the need to look “perfect” no matter the circumstances, is a risk women are willing to take just to be able to please society’s view. Since girls/women are always exposed to these so called “perfect” bodies on social media, they are getting the wrong image and only becoming more and more self-conscious about themselves and have a lower self-esteem.
There is a serious lack of diversity in our society today. Not only body wise but also when it comes to race. This is something more people need to realize in order to change our views for the better. So many women on social media look similar to one another that people start believing that is how you are supposed to look. Its unhealthy for women to constantly be exposed to this notion of beauty. As a society and a community, we need to realize how being different from others is just as beautiful. We need to change these unattainable beauty expectations and be more open to diversifying our society’s view on women.
References:
https://www.girlsempowermentnetwork.org/blog/media-today-unattainable-beauty-standards
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