Impact of Social Media Beauty Standards on the Emotional Well-Being of The College of Maasin

Female Students

Rationale of the Study

According to Antonio Fuente del Campo (2002), a concept of beauty is built into all of us and
involves a balance between objective criteria and subjective impressions and a capacity to perceive
order, symmetry, and harmony. Beauty involves an equilibrium between the whole object and its parts,
as well as the various parts in relation to each other. The absence of this balance translates into the
“unaesthetic”. The standard of beauty is essentially a variable standard of what it means to be attractive
that is contingent on the feminine beauty ideals that are present in a given culture (Ross, 2018).

As we all know, social media such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are often used by people
nowadays. According to Wikipedia, social media are interactive digitally mediated technologies that
facilitate the creation or sharing/exchange of information, ideas, career interests, and other forms of
expression via virtual communities and networks. With the sharing/exchange of information, it has set a
beauty standard for women over the years. Virly Churianti (2017) stated that, social media helps to
promote these beauty standards by allowing us to edit our pictures through the filters to promote the
‘best’ version of ourselves fitting into such standards.

According to Paige Smith, girls have been known for experiencing the body image issues and
what they need to look like in order to be more accepted towards others. At a young age, they start to
view others and focus on what they wish to change about themselves. With social media being apart of
their lives the majority of the time, they experience the images and other posts, which reflect on social
media’s ideal “beauty”. This standard made them feel insecure about themselves. With this mindset, it is
likely for girls to become diagnosed with an eating disorder and other forms of mental disorders.

This research is to determine how badly the female students of The College of Maasin is affected
emotionally by the beauty standard set by social media. The researcher also includes the study's
implications pertaining to the ways how to make women feel better about themselves and how they
should embrace and accept their imperfections.

Statement of the Problem

The purpose of this study is to determine whether social media’s beauty standard has a negative
or positive impact on female students of The College of Maasin and how it has affected them.

This study seeks to answer the following questions:

1. How did social media’s beauty standard affect the way female students of The College of Maasin
feel and think about themselves?
2. How do the female students of The College of Maasin feel beautiful versus how they think they
are beautiful basing from social media’s beauty standard?

Research Hypothesis

Social media’s beauty standard has a negative impact on the way girls look at themselves.

Sampling Method and Statistical Treatment

 The researcher used quota sampling method wherein the number of respondents needed for
the research is only up to 10 respondents. This is to assure that the amount of data gathered by the
researcher is accurate and enough to make a good and unbiased research.

Since the research used the mixed method, the researcher chose percentile to describe the
percentage of female students who answered both the yes or no questions and the 10-point rating scale
questions.

To find the percentile, the following formula will be used:

frequency
P= × 100
number of repondents
Narrative analysis is also used to describe the respondents’ statements on the given questions.
This is to analyze and summarize the respondent’s statements on the given questions.

Data Collection and Presentation

This chapter explains the study's data and how it was evaluated and interpreted. Focused on the
statement of the problem, this chapter answers to the following questions.

1. How did social media’s beauty standard affect the way female students of The College of Maasin
feel and think about themselves?
1.1. Use of Social Media
1.2. Influence of Social Media
1.3. Self-confidence
2. How do the female students of The College of Maasin feel beautiful versus how they think they
are beautiful basing from social media’s beauty standard?
1.1. Own perspective of Beauty Versus Social Media Beauty Standards

Use of Social Media

Table 1 shows that majority of the respondents (80%) defined social media as a big part of their
everyday life while, 20% of the respondents said no to the given question.

Table 1. Use of Social Media

Question Yes or No Frequency Percentage

Is social media a big part Yes 8 80
of your everyday life?
No 2 20
Total 10 100

Influence of Social Media

Table 2 presents the responses of the respondents for the given questions. Majority (70%) of the
respondents said that social media influenced them to look in some sort of way. They said that this is
because they have been exposed to what they consider to be the ideal beauty, which has made them
feel insecure about themselves. Some also said that this was due to social media users encouraging
them to be positive and true to themselves. On the other hand, 20% of the respondents said that they
are sometimes influenced by social media to look in some way and only one respondent said that she is
not influenced by social media in any way because she just lets them be. With regarding to the second
question on the table which is “Did social media affect the way you look at someone? How?”, 50% of the
respondents said yes, 40% of the respondents said no, and only 10% of the respondents said sometimes.
The 50% of the respondents agreed that social media affected the way they look at someone by making
them feel insecure about themselves, making her as an inspiration, and setting it as their standard of
beauty. The other 40% of the respondents, on the other hand, said no because they mostly judge on
inside beauty rather than the outside beauty of a person.

Table 2. Influence of Social Media

Questions Yes, No, or Seldom Respondent’s statement Frequency Percentage

Do you think social
media influenced
you to look in some
sort of way? Why do
you think so?
Yes “Yes, social media 7 70
influenced me. Because
nowadays, girls in social
media are really beautiful
with or without makeup,
the way they dress up and
their confidence is really
something and the
attitude the way they help
us build our confidence by
their words, I like it.”

“Social media influenced

my perception towards
body image because I am
typically exposed to toxic
idealized body types and
will often compare myself
to influencers and
celebrities.”

“Yes, because everything I

see in social media that
made me badly want to
look in some sort of way,
too.”

“Yes, social media

introduced a lot of
different standards but,
some people are also
sharing about how to
 ignore all of it and to just
be yourself.”

“Yes.”

“Yes.”

“Yes, because social

media can change the
way we are especially if
we have insecurities to
others.”

No “I don't think that social 1 10

media has influenced me
in any way because I don't
mind people on social
media; I just let them do
what they want and don't
bother them at all.”
Seldom “Sometimes, I do want to 2 20
look like a lot of girls on
my feed because of
looking spot on with
people adoring them but,
I understood and pushed
it all away.”

“Sometimes it does,
because it's mostly what
people think off.”

Total 10 100
Did social media Yes “Yes. I'd always perceive 4 40
affect the way you someone with fair and
look at someone? rosy white skin tone to be
How? more beautiful than those
with color.”

“Yes, it’s really affecting

me and I make her my
inspiration.”

“Yes, because sometimes

I feel insecure of what I've
 seen in other people.”

“kind of, since social

media’s already a huge
part of my everyday life.”

No “No, it doesn't, because if 5 50

I were to judge someone's
else appearance it means
I am putting highly of
myself above other
people and I myself do
not qualify to the
standards how beauty is
set by the social media.”

“No. however, in this

generation, beauty is
based on outside
appearances. but as I
grew, I learned that
beauty isn't just all looks.”

“No, because social media

judges a person as soon
as it meets the eye of the
people, but it's the total
opposite for me.”

“No.”

“No”

Seldom “Sometimes it's inevitable 1 10

to compare ourselves and
others with our physical
appearance because of
social media's paragon of
beauty.”

Total 10 100

Table 3 is the continuation of the influence of social media which presents the responses of the
respondents for the given questions. On the first question on how social media’s beauty standard
affected their emotional well-being, all of the respondents said that it has affected them by being
insecure, conscious, and looking up to unrealistic beauty standards set by social media. Majority of the
respondents (60%) also responded that they would feel insecure and jealous if they see someone who
fits the beauty standard of social media while, 40% responded that they would feel happy and proud for
the other person who fits the beauty standard of social media.

Table 3. Influence of Social Media (continued)

Questions It has affected me… Respondent’s statement Frequency Percentage

or it has not affected
me…
How did social It has affected me “It has affected me to the 10 100
media’s beauty point of pressuring myself
standard affect you to be someone I cannot
emotionally? In be. I always buy beauty
what way? products that claims it will
make me someone whom
I always get jealous for
being beautiful in social
media.”

“It makes me feel

ashamed to the point that
I barely post anything on
the social media. It also
makes me feel self-
conscious about my
appearance and
everything I do.”

“I became more conscious

about the standards they
want and not knowingly I
forgot to focus on my
own beauty because I was
busy reaching their
satisfactions.”

“With social media being

part of my life, it affected
me in a way when I see
someone portraying ideal
beauty and body image
comparisons.”

“Their looks and the way

they dress up makes me
feel envy because it looks
good on them. Because
 for me, I am not really
pretty.”

“I get insecure for looking

at girls on how gorgeous
they look then looking at
myself in the mirror.”

“The unrealistic beauty

standards portrayed by
social media negatively
affected my self-esteem.”

“It has such an impact on

me that I seldom have the
courage to show anyone
how I look.”

“It triggers my anxiety, I

get insecure.”

“It affects me because

they only based on
beauty standard.”

It has not affected --- 0 0

me…

Total 10 100
What would you feel It has affected me… “I felt envious because 6 60
if you see someone why does beauty has it's
that fits the beauty standards when in fact
standard of social everyone is beautiful in
media? our own unique ways.”

“I would feel insecure but

in awestruck at the same
time.”

“I feel jealous. I would

oftentimes say "sana all".”

“Sometimes, I feel envy.”

“Insecure”
 “Insecure”
It has not affected “I would feel happy for 4 40
me.. them, because it's what
they are. living your life to
the fullest is not wrong.”

“I feel very proud of her

then support her.”

“I'd be proud and happy

for them.”

“Stunned.”

Total 10 100

Self-Confidence

Table 4 shows that majority (70%) of the respondents are not confident with their physical
appearance while, 30% of the rest are confident. There are about 70% of the respondents who are
insecure of their physical appearance and 30% of the respondents are not insecure. Thirty percent of the
respondents responded that they would like to change something to their body while, 70% of them said
no. However, only 10% of them would consider having a plastic surgery to enhance their physical
appearance while, the rest (90%) of them wouldn’t consider having a plastic surgery. Majority (90%) of
the respondents wished that they had the same body as the girl they saw in social media and only one of
them said no.

Table 4. Self-confidence

Questions Yes or No Frequency Percentage

Are you confident with your Yes 4 70
physical appearance?
No 7 30

Total 10 100
Do you feel insecure about Yes 7 70
your physical appearance?
No 3 30

Total 10 100
Would you change anything Yes 3 60
to your body?
No 7 40

Total 10 100
Would you consider having a Yes 1 10
 plastic surgery to enhance
your physical appearance?
No 9 90

Total 10 100
Have you ever wished you Yes 9 90
have the same body as the
girl you saw in social media?
No 1 10

Total 10 100

Own Perspective of Beauty Versus Social Media Beauty Standards

Table 5 shows that 80% of the respondents consider themselves as beautiful and only 20% of
them do not. But when it comes to considering themselves as beautiful based on social media’s beauty
standard, only 20% of them considers themselves and 80% of them do not consider themselves as
beautiful based on social media’s beauty standard.

Table 5. Own perspective of Beauty Versus Social Media Beauty Standards

Questions Yes or No Frequency Percentage

Would you consider Yes 8 80
yourself as beautiful?
No 2 20

Total 10 100
Would you consider Yes 2 80
yourself beautiful if you
would base it on social
No 8 20
media’s beauty standard?

Total 10 100

Table 6 shows that 40% of the respondents rated themselves 10, 20% of the respondents rated
themselves 6, 10% of the respondents rated themselves 9, 10% of them rated themselves 8, 10% of
them rated themselves 5, and 10% of them rated themselves 4. This is how the respondents rated
themselves with their own perspective of beauty. Based on social media beauty standards, on the other
hand, 30% of the respondents rated themselves 5, 20% of them rated themselves 8, 20% of them rated
themselves 6, 10% of them rated themselves 7, 10% of them rated themselves 3, and 10% of them rated
themselves 2.

Table 6. Own perspective of Beauty Versus Social Media Beauty Standards (continued)
Questions Rate Frequency Percentage
How would you consider 1 0 0
yourself beautiful?
2 0 0

3 0 0

4 1 10

5 1 10

6 2 20

7 0 0

8 1 10

9 1 10

10 4 40

Total 10 100
How would you consider 1 0 0
yourself based on social
media's beauty standard?
2 1 10

3 1 10

4 0 0

5 3 30

6 2 20

7 1 10

8 2 20

9 0 0

10 0 0

Total 10 100
Conclusion

Therefore, the researcher has concluded that social media beauty standard mainly has a
negative impact on the emotional well-being among the female students of The College of Maasin. This
standard made them conscious and insecure about themselves. But aside from that, it has also a positive
impact on some students by making it as an inspiration to be the best versions of themselves or simply
just be themselves.

Questionnaire

Evidences in Conducting Data Gathering

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media

https://medium.com/social-media-as-news-cod/how-social-media-impacts-beauty-standards-for-boys-
and-girls-b6bebb6386ac

https://medium.com/@BritzoneID/beauty-standard-1992c8a395ac

https://watermark.silverchair.com/22-3-267.pdf?
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Wh8Jzz

https://www.thewilkesbeacon.com/opinion/2018/10/30/the-standard-of-beauty-a-dangerous-ideal/
#:~:text=The%20standard%20of%20beauty%20is,present%20in%20a%20given%20culture.&text=In
%20essence%2C%20Donati%20is%20suggesting,those%20who%20possess%20said%20attributes.