Social media has been a blessing to us all, but for those of us whose minds are still developing, it is a dangerous tool. Both young men and women are constantly exposed to projections of what they should and shouldn’t look like, however, just like most things in life, women get the short end of the stick.
As women, we have constantly been force-fed mannerisms to comply with and how to dress or look in order to be considered a ‘good woman’. The list of things that women are expected to live up to is comprehensive, with the pressure to be a good mum, housewife, and a boss lady too. On top of that, we experience periods, childbirth and discrimination. But being a woman in the 21st century is much more diligent than just that.
See the constraint on women to become model versions of themselves has been amplified through the introduction of social media. As well as, a new technology which is so advanced, you can check or update your profile from any corner of the world and it will be accessible to millions of people. We are now more connected and therefore more exposed than ever. How many of you check your phone the moment you open your eyes? Exactly, social media has become a prominent part of our everyday lives and for some, it has become a constant reminder that they aren’t ‘perfect’.
Social media is a diverse platform, available to people of all races and backgrounds, which would lead many of us to believe that the representations of life would also be driven by variety. Instead, our social media feeds are dominated by similarity, followed by false representations and unrealistic standards. Nowadays, a mass amount of young women simply look the same, all because social media has created a generic beauty standard.
Take the Kardashian family for example, they are the epitome of the ideal beauty standard according to social media. Think about how many women you know who have fantasied about having curvy hips like Kim Kardashian, or the same plump lips as Kylie Jenner. Young women constantly compare themselves to the standard set by celebrities, models, and influences. Yet they are unaware of the volume of work, editing and even sometimes plastic surgery is required in order to depict that beauty standard. Therefore, they simply begin to think they are not good enough.
Although it can now be argued that due to our awareness of the problem at hand, an array of beauty types have become more and more prominent online, they all remain conformed to mainstream views on beauty.
Young women’s self-esteem is constantly being chipped away. A study by Glamour magazine found that just a mere 30 minutes of social media usage can alter the way in which young girls perceive their own body shape. Not to mention that young girls who interact with media diet plans are 40% more likely to develop an eating disorder. The constant battle young girls face with their own self-esteem as a cause of social media is creating a wave of mentally unstable girls.
There is a false sense of idealism amongst young women, and the beauty standards which are cast are simply unattainable by a vast majority. Many people have argued that we should promote different standards of beauty, different race, height, hair type, etc. But I have a better solution, how about we focus on promoting individual beauty? Nobody should feel the need to compare or judge themselves based on somebody else.
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