Unrealistic beauty standards are problematic for many reasons.
Considering the exceptional increase in the usage of social media among youngsters, it has become the norm to compare oneself to another prettier, slimmer and lighter-skinned influencer. When influencers promote beautification products while using feminism as a tool to do so, it becomes hypocritical. Yet, many naïve teenagers are swayed by such tactics and worry over trivial things.
When capitalism makes use of the insecurities of others’, huge companies get a lot of profit from selling products that make one person feel inferior to another. This is basically daylight robbery because even if it is a product that does not work well, it sells well because of people’s lack of self-acceptance.
Another dangerous effect of unrealistic beauty standards is eating disorders. When a person thinner than them, comes up online, they start to question their concept of beauty and beat themselves up to match the person online. This can cause many youngsters to starve themselves or take pills or over-exercise until they tire themselves out. Bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa and binge eating disorder are some examples of eating disorders.
In South Korea, people have an especially clear image of how a pop star or celebrity should be. They’re not allowed to weigh more than a certain weight and are forced to starve themselves to maintain that weight. If they do not conform to those beauty standards, netizens cyberbully the idol till they make changes or sadly, kill themselves.
All over the world, there are people who suffer because of beauty standards. Some people are introverts because they do not have confidence in their appearance, they lack self-esteem and give up on many opportunities because they feel that they are not worthy of availing of that opportunity.
But it is important to know that beauty standards keep changing every day. What was considered ideal back in the 90s is not what is relevant today. So, just learn to love yourself and be confident in yourself and then you won’t try to fit into the standards that society thrusts upon you.