DO I FIT BEAUTY STANDARDS?

What makes us lose our confidence while we head somewhere? “Am I looking alright?” “Do I fit beauty standards?” “Are my flaws concealed?” “Will I be the center of attention?” These are a few questions that we have had asked ourselves as we stand in front of a mirror. Why are we always so concerned with how we look? No matter how much one believes in the beauty of a soul, yet we never fail to judge someone by their appearance.

WHAT ARE BEAUTY STANDARDS?

The feminine beauty ideal is the physical attractiveness of a woman. It makes other women desire and struggle to do and perpetuate. Beauty standards around the world depict that how fond we are of looking perfect all the time. There are some capabilities that an individual thinks they need. It is what exemplifies them as a beauty ideal. It demands girls to be skinny with a slim waist and curves. Boys should be six feet tall and have six-pack abs along with broad shoulders. The standard of beauty around the world craves to remain young and beautiful forever.

WHY DO THEY EXIST?

The response to the question is that these are the thought that social media places into our minds. We portray models as they are super skinny and take them as an example of beauty. We start to get hard on ourselves to give our bodies the perfect shape and curves. We look up to their pictures and wonder why we can’t get such impeccable photographs. We perceive everything as perfect.

We concentrate on the highlights of one’s life. Regardless, we fight with insecurity. We compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel. We are so obsessed with the idea of being perfect. It often makes us forget that perfectionism or perfectionists does not exist

HOW ARE WE COPING WITH IT?

Our generations fail when they can’t keep up with society. Instead, they try to fake it. We put many filters on a picture to hide our imperfections. We took hours to choose an image for a social media platform to post. We ruin our moments to capture it in the eye of the camera.

The media don’t reveal the reality behind the reel shots. Individuals set eyes on the models as a symbol of beauty. Yet, they fail to distinguish how photoshopped they are. Keeping that edited picture in mind, we experiment with our skin. We spend a large amount of money to get cosmetic surgery done to enhance our physical features. We use skin lightening or anti-aging products.

Nowadays, we see many businesses promoting skin whitening. The reason is that even after years ago, people still desire a fair complexion. They want flawless skin without pores, wrinkles, or fine lines. They want to match the beauty standards and want to fit in those ugly norms.

HOW IS IT AFFECTING US?

The rise in beauty standards is having an immense impact on the mental health of individuals. They are comparing themselves with the models out there. And when they fail to have the same features as them, they got themselves in depression. They feel inferior. They try to hide their blemishes with makeup.

We witness brown women trying out remedies to lighten their skin tone. The justification for her change has everything to do with her choice to whiten her skin. A lot of individuals try to bleach their skin without caring about its side effects. In society, women execute this method for a long time. These creams claim to lighten your skin, causing skin cancer.

Women expect to look flawless all the time. We need to stop it now. It makes us doubt ourselves and lose our confidence. We begin to hate things that everybody has, such as hair, stretch marks, discoloration, etc.

Social media can affect confidence, particularly among the adolescent. It constructs sensations of jealousy, inadequacy, and uncertainty. It also pushes an individual to compare themselves with others. Even when they try to detox social media, they can’t. They go through F.O.M.O, which makes it worse.

DO I FIT IN WITH THOSE STANDARDS?

No, you don’t, and it’s okay. You need to understand that you’re a human being. You were born with these imperfections. All these models you envision on your screen have plenty of makeup along with filters. It is what makes them look perfect to you. In reality, the beauty standards in our society are unrealistic. They make no sense at all. According to a survey in 2017, 42% of people acknowledge that women consider unrealistic beauty standards. For what reason would an individual attempt to change any of their features? Why do they want to fit in those norms? Why not be who you’re? Why attempt to change yourself to look beautiful in the eyes of others?

It’s a human instinct that desires to admire by someone. It feels incredible if someone compliments you. But if all those people are not doing it, still don’t feel bad about it. Don’t let it lower your self-esteem. It’s okay to care for yourself. But don’t try to look attractive and alluring to others. Don’t try to impress them, nor do it for their attention. We know that perfectionism doesn’t exist. Then why are we struggling to make it? We all have flaws. It is what it is. Then why waste your time thinking to blend in? It’s okay to be different and unique. Social media portrays a perfect picture of one’s life. It is their highlight reel. Don’t let these reels fool you.

Don’t let others attribute value to us. We are tying up our self-worth of what others think about us. We are making others question our self-esteem. Individuals post things on which they could get more likes, comments, or shares. They make sure whatever they are posting should catch the attention of the audience. They always try to build a reputation on social media, no matter how hard it is to maintain it. No one shares their insecurities that would make them look monotonous.

CONCLUSION

You can’t standardize beauty. It is an emotional trait that differs from person to person. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that our imperfections make us different from each other. We struggle to be the best version of ourselves. Yet, society never fails to disappoint. People have confined themselves to certain restrictions. But we all have the right to live our life the way we want. We all have our own rules, so stop judging people by their looks. So whenever you catch sight of a lady who flexes of being a size zero or a man with six-pack abs. Comprehend that these are unrealistic. Don’t pretend to be someone you’re not only to fit in the beauty standards.

If you expect society to progress, then we should step forward. Try to change your perspective towards beauty standards. Accept that we are human beings and stop promoting various standards of beauty that don’t exist for real. It’s okay to have hair on your body, acne, stretch marks, discoloration, bad skin days, and other problems. It will help individuals to embrace their natural beauty and to learn self-love.

We all have the right to feel exemplary in the manner we are. We should take a stand to break all the ugly stereotypes and let every individual live the want they want.