Beauty is now being an issue for young girls. Growing up, we all remember Barbie. I love Barbie movies. They teach us about kindness, courage, friendship, values, etc. But, they also make young girls who play with Barbie dolls want to be like them. Barbie is the first beauty standard we were exposed to.
We then came to our early teens and were exposed to Victoria’s Secret models and the fashion industry. Early teen is also the place where we go through puberty. We all know puberty is not a pretty place. Trust me, nobody looks good when they are going through puberty.
Now, being exposed to the world of beauty and going through puberty puts us in a tough spot. We start hating ourselves. We know that most people do not look like models. We also know that models have a strict diet plan, they undergo surgeries, and there is constant use of Photoshop to make them look flawless. Our subconscious brain is aware of these facts. We still can’t help comparing ourselves to the pretty models.
We start looking down upon ourselves. We constantly try to become like models. A lot of girls become anorexic to be as thin as the models. A lot of girls also take supplements to reduce fat. A lot of them start saving up for cosmetic surgeries from a very young age. Most of the girls do these surgeries to feel more confident. I do not blame them. But I do blame our society for making them feel like they needed to change.
Our beauty standards are also being white-washed. We are now following western beauty standards. When we think of beauty, we imagine a tall, thin white girl. Even in African and Asian countries, this is what the beauty standard is. This makes people from those countries spend millions of dollars bleaching their skin even when it leads to skin cancer.
Our media makes millions of dollars selling products with the faces of white-washed beauty. These days when we see an advertisement, we look at the models more than the product. Are they selling the product or the beauty standard?
Now our role in the world of beauty standards is to stop thinking it matters. Unless you want to become a model. People who have zero connection to the beauty industry have to stop worrying about their looks. It is not our work to look like that. So, we all need to end our obsession with beauty. If we are not being paid for being pretty, we do not have to obsess over it.
Next, we all need to stop thinking that every single woman has to be pretty. I know even men go through it. But, the American Society of Plastic surgeons reveals that women have accounted for 92% of cosmetic surgeries and men accounted for 8% of them. About 98% of the women feel immense pressure from external sources to look a certain way.
I really want to change that. So can we all start complimenting each other on qualities other than appearance? Instead of only telling a girl, you are pretty, beautiful, etc. Can we please tell them that they are talented, kind, intelligent, and caring?
I love getting compliments on my work rather than being complimented on my physical appearance. It is not in our control how we look like.
Can we all start complimenting each other on who we are rather than what we look like?
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