1

The Beauty Standard: A Critical Examination

Author

Affiliation

Course

Instructor

Due Date
 2

The Beauty Standard: A Critical Examination

In recent years, the beauty standard has become increasingly focused. The standard has

evolved from a look that signified fertility to one that implies superiority and elite social standing

instead. This evolution has resulted in widespread appearance and body dissatisfaction among

women in the United States and other developed countries. While there is a good deal of

literature relating to women's body dissatisfaction, the problem is becoming increasingly worse

as young girls are starting to have negative body image experiences at a younger and younger

age. Ample research has shown that body dissatisfaction and negative body image have left

harmful impacts on women, including, but not limited to, disordered eating behaviors, celebrity

worship, self-objectification, decreased sexual health and well-being, and even self-harm and

self-hate, all of which have driven millions of individuals to undergo plastic surgery to meet and

conform to these new aesthetic standards.

Beauty is decisive in individuals' social, mental, and emotional lives. Many have stated

that beauty is subjective, defined by an individual based on what they perceive as perfect or

desirable. Despite this, mainstream media still affects us to see beauty in a way that is

disadvantageous to our self-perception and worth. Studies have shown that both genders suffer

from the impact on teenagers. Although teenage girls suffer from body distortion and anorexia

from these images, adolescent boys also have issues with eating disorders, depression, and low

self-esteem (Cella et al., 2021). Only upon recognition and education of the problem and how to

address and change the situation can we alter and challenge the existing misrepresentations of

beauty in the mainstream.

If the concept of beauty is directly related to self-love and self-esteem, it is essential that,

somehow, these two values also tie into change. This requires a struggle to achieve them,
 3

directed towards fulfilling desires and sometimes transforming thoughts and attitudes. Instead of

agreeing with her standards, anyone identifying something harmful in beauty can think about the

importance and purpose of change. True, if it is a discussion about what benefits the individual,

this same individual should decide to follow a style that fits better. Even if initially a change is

not well received, the main thing is to be faithful to what makes one feel good, and, over time,

one must be the loser. We know that (re)thinking about beauty can sound quite confusing,

mainly when the official accounts discuss a standard of beauty that is naturally plausible

(Jerrentrup, 2021). This act is opposite to affirming: "Beauty only standard does not exist,"

standing as if she were to be a beauty.

To sum up, the changing beauty standards that turn into the list of attractiveness and

supremacy concepts have brought much to women's self-esteem through their spirit, brain, and

everyday life. This dissatisfaction is no longer restricted to adults but is increasingly taking its

toll on the youth, resulting in alarming behaviors like loss of appetite, self-centeredness, and

even suicide. The contributions of mass media magnify these problems, amplifying implications

for both genders. To deal with this problem, we must realize, teach, and put the required energy

into questioning and changing the existing views on beauty. Therefore, fostering self-love and

self-respect is a target to achieve as this will lead to the transformation of our society, whereby

everyone will embrace their uniqueness without feeling the need to seek similarities with what

society deems beautiful.

 4

References

Cella, S., Cipriano, A., Aprea, C., & Cotrufo, P. (2021). Self-Esteem and binge eating among

adolescent boys and girls: The role of body disinvestment. International Journal of

Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(14), 7496.

Jerrentrup, M. T. (2021). Ugly on the internet: from# authenticity to# selflove. Visual Studies