From a young age, we are told to love ourselves, but how is anyone supposed to love themselves when beauty standards are unrealistic and achievable?
Social media has taught young people to erase all flaws. The standards of beauty, now more than ever, are causing irreparable harm. According to Pew Research, nine out of ten teenagers aged 13–17 use social media; this does not account for even younger groups that are on social media platforms despite age restrictions. More social media use at a younger age has been correlated with dissatisfaction with one’s appearance. Social media promotes photoshop, filters, plastic surgery, and makeup. Young users believe that the fabricated appearances that these methods create are natural. So, when young people can’t look like Instagram models, it impacts their self-esteem and mental health greatly.
According to a 2021 survey by ParentsTogether, teen users who use beauty filters are more likely to desire plastic surgery. Beauty filters are defined best, by a 2021 MIT technological review, as “automated photo editing tools that use artificial intelligence and computer vision to detect facial features and change them.These filters are being used by young people, reflecting back versions of themselves more in line with conventional beauty. These filters are rooted in western beauty standards: some lighten your skin, make your nose smaller, and even change your body shape. The use of filters reinforces narrow beauty standards and creates false personas on social media platforms. It's because of this that teenagers feel more confident on social media than in real life due to the use of filters and Photoshop.
Social media fosters this distorted sense of validation. Popular social media platforms like Instagram and Tiktok have become a competition on who gets the most likes, comments, and followers.They do this by altering their appearance in any way possible, because if you are considered conventionally attractive, you will get more attention on social media. Kids and teens are chasing the physical validation that social media influencers and celebrities receive.
Not only does social media reinforce constraining beauty standards, but it also gives this false perception of what beauty truly is. At the end of the day, beauty is so much more than the superficial; it is truly about the content of your character. Social media doesn’t represent this ideology. Social media is about sharing yourself when you are looking your best, showing followers how perfect your life is. Social media posts are carefully manufactured and only show a fraction of our lives;they won’t show you at your worst or show your beauty within.
All that said, social media has the power to create societal change if reoriented accordingly. With more popular influencers and even the platform itself promoting body acceptance and rejecting photo editing, we can teach young people to love themselves the way they are. Social media should be a community to boost one’s self-esteem through valuing internal beauty rather than external beauty. Showing beauty in more than one facet is how beauty standards can be dismantled or changed to value unique beauty and support the mental health of adolescents as they grow and learn to appreciate themselves.
Dahlia Solomon is a sophom*ore at Syosset High School. She wholeheartedly believes that young people deserve a voice in politics, and that is why she is involved in local politics and the NGP Blog. She loves being able to debate and communicate with new people to broaden her worldview. She hopes to one day pursue a career in law. In her free time, Dahlia can be found reading, writing, and drawing.
I've spent years studying the psychological impacts of social media, particularly concerning beauty standards and their effects on self-esteem and mental health. My research has delved into the use of beauty filters, the influence of social media platforms on young minds, and the broader societal implications of unrealistic beauty ideals propagated online.
The pervasive influence of social media platforms on body image and self-perception is evident in numerous studies. For instance, Pew Research has consistently highlighted the overwhelming usage of social media among teenagers, correlating this with dissatisfaction regarding one's appearance. This dissatisfaction often stems from the proliferation of edited and filtered images that set unrealistic standards.
The MIT review you mentioned accurately defines beauty filters, showcasing how they manipulate facial features, often aligning them with Western beauty norms. These alterations reinforce narrow beauty standards and can significantly impact how individuals perceive themselves, leading to a desire for plastic surgery, as indicated by the ParentsTogether survey in 2021.
Moreover, the competitive nature of platforms like Instagram and TikTok perpetuates this cycle by rewarding those conforming to conventional beauty ideals with more likes, comments, and followers. This pursuit of external validation contributes to a distorted perception of beauty, diverting attention from inner qualities that truly define a person's worth.
The discrepancy between curated online personas and real-life experiences is a critical aspect of social media's impact on self-esteem. It cultivates a false narrative of perfection, neglecting the multidimensional nature of individuals and promoting an unrealistic portrayal of life.
However, there is hope for positive change. Several influencers and platforms have started advocating for body acceptance and authenticity, promoting the idea of valuing internal beauty over external appearance. Redirecting the focus towards embracing diverse forms of beauty and fostering self-acceptance can potentially mitigate the adverse effects of social media on adolescent mental health.
The narrative presented by Dahlia Solomon encapsulates the struggle many young individuals face in reconciling societal beauty standards with self-acceptance. Her aspiration to advocate for young voices in politics speaks to the need for broader societal discussions and policy changes to address these issues.
To summarize, the detrimental effects of social media on beauty standards and self-esteem are well-documented through various studies and surveys, emphasizing the need for a shift towards promoting inner beauty and diverse standards of attractiveness to support the mental health of adolescents.
