Saturday, November 16, 2024

How Beauty Standards Affect Women: The Invisible Weight of Societal Expectations

 

Introduction 

Living in a world where images of airbrushed perfection have inundated us, it is very difficult not to feel the weight of beauty standards bearing down on us. From the glossy pages of fashion magazines down to curated social media feeds, women are constantly reminded of what they should look like. But how do these beauty standards really affect women on a deeper level, and what can we do to empower ourselves and future generations?

Imagine holding in your hands a treasure trove of knowledge that empowers you to feel confident and beautiful every day.

This article examines the psychological and social effects that beauty standards have on women, along with providing some real-life examples, and offers some actionable tips to help cultivate self-acceptance and a broader, all-encompassing definition of beauty.


The Origin of Beauty Standards and Their Evolution

Beauty standards changed with time and were influenced by the cultural, historical, and even economic context. The ideal of beauty used to emanate from the palace and the arts, while nowadays, it comes from celebrities, influencers, and influential marketing conducted by beauty and fashion companies. Yet, regardless of any era in time, one element is constant: beauty standards are most often unreachable to a majority of women.


The Role of Media in Shaping Beauty Standards

From a very young age, women are consistently bombarded with images and messages that they need to be thinner, younger, fairer, or even have flawless skin to be perceived as beautiful. Most often, advertisements make use of digitally enhanced models as the gold standard to which many women feel compelled to adhere.


Example: Consider the proliferation of the "Instagram Face"—an image of full lips, high cheekbones, and perfect complexion. It has evolved into a worldwide ideal, though that does not demonstrate the normal set of natural features in a majority of women worldwide.


Actionable Tip: Bring awareness into your media consumption. Unfollow accounts that bring you down and instead fill your feed with accounts that promote body positivity and diversity in beauty.


The Psychological Consequences of Beauty Standards

However, the pressure one feels to measure up to the dictates of being beautiful has taken a mental toll on a woman. Indeed, there is research to validate its strong linkage to anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem.


Body Image and Self-Esteem

Women often find themselves comparing their bodies to the perfect ones they see around them. For this reason alone, this may lead to feelings of inadequacy, which can further lead to body dysmorphia-an exceptionally preoccupying interest in imaginary or slight defects in physical appearance.


Example: It is estimated that a study published in the Journal of Eating Disorders found that 50% of teenage girls feel unhappy with their bodies, and this dissatisfaction is considered a major risk factor to develop eating disorders.


Actionable Tip: Try self-compassion and body gratitude. Set a goal of writing three things your body allows you to do-like walking, dancing, or hugging loved ones-to begin to shift the focus from appearance to function.


The Pressure to Conform

Apart from self-esteem, beauty standards lead women to the unimaginable length of cosmetic surgeries and extreme dieting. Insecurities are made on which multibillion-dollar beauty industries thrive while selling their products and procedures promising to "fix" natural features.


Example: The global cosmetic surgery market is continuing to surge, with several million women worldwide undergoing surgeries to attain an ideal appearance. Procedures from Botox to lip fillers have been normalized, even on young women in their 20s.


Actionable Tip: Next time you feel the urge to make some major change in your appearance, ask yourself if it is something you would really want to do, or is it just a societal compulsion. You can even make a small list of pros and cons, so the intention gets really clear.


Societal Consequences of Narrow Beauty Standards

Lack of Representation and Diversity

Beauty standards rarely represent natural diversities of women's skin tones, body shapes, and features that make up their faces. It's this exclusion that seems to ring this mythical notion over and over again that there are only a chosen few who can be beautiful.


Example: While there has been a move towards inclusivity in recent years, many makeup brands still don't offer a wide range of shades today, alienating deeper-skinned women.


Actionable Tip: Use and support those brands that champion diversity and inclusivity. Buying from brands including all women, whatever the skin or body type, can be a powerful and telling message.


Workplace and Social Consequences

Beauty standards do have tangible implications regarding discrimination and bias. There are conducted studies showing that women whose features and looks more closely align with traditional definitions of beauty are usually perceived as competent, meaning it opens the possibility to get hired or interrelate.


Example: One study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology found that more "attractive" people are likely to get hired and receive higher salaries than less conventionally attractive people.


Actionable Tip: Challenge these biases within your workplace by fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion. If you happen to be someone with influence, make sure that hiring practices are skills-based and not appearance-based.


How to Challenge Beauty Standards and Embrace Your Own Beauty

The struggle of changing beauty standards can be an uphill one, but it's the small actions that help create a world that will be inclusive and empowering. Here's how you can make a difference:


1. Body Positivity

Spread body-positive messages through your social media accounts. Make different shapes, sizes, and shapes of features seem normal in the content you see and create.


2. Be a Role Model for Younger Generations

Talk to younger girls about unrealistic beauty standards and love them for their unique features. The earlier this message can be instilled, the better.


Example: If you have a daughter or young girl in your life, at every possible opportunity point out the beauty in diversity. Remind her that beauty comes in all forms and should not be restricted to what she sees on TV or online.


3. Practice Self-Love Rituals

It is a revolutionary thing to learn to take care of one's self in a society that often dictates standards of beauty that are toxic. Of course, this does not mean that one has to stop wearing makeup or getting one's hair done but does it for yourself and not to impress anyone.


Actionable Tip: Start a self-love journal. Note down the things that you love about your personality and the things you've achieved. Focus on your inner qualities rather than your appearance.


Conclusion: The Beauty Redefining Must Come from Us

Beauty standards have a long history of dictating how women see themselves and look at each other. But the more cognizant we come to be about such influences, the greater ability we have to redefine what beauty can mean. Beauty is not fitting into a tiny mold but embracing who you are, blemishes and all. By questioning such standards, embracing diverse standards of beauty, and placing mental health above everything, we can create a world where every single woman would feel beautiful, confident, and worthy.


Remember, the most beautiful thing you can be is yourself. Let's work together to make self-acceptance the new standard.

Imagine holding in your hands a treasure trove of knowledge that empowers you to feel confident and beautiful every day.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How can I stop comparing myself to others?

Practice gratitude, and remind yourself that social media often shows a curated version of reality. Stop following accounts that make you feel bad about yourself, and begin to follow the accounts that inspire self-love and positivity.


2. Do beauty standards affect men too?

While this article is focused on women, there are a variety of ways in which men experience pressure to look certain ways; however, due to a long history of objectification and the correlating unrealistic expectations, the effects tend to be worse for women.


3. Can makeup be empowering?

Of course, makeup is one way of self-expression and an outlet for creativity. The important thing is to wear it because it makes you feel good, and not because you feel obliged to hide your natural appearance.


4. Are there any movements to change the standard of beauty?

Yes, of course, there are indeed body positivity and body neutrality movements gaining momentum. These movements support the acceptance of all body types and maintain good mental health.


5. How do beauty standards differ among cultures?

Beauty truly is in the eye of the cultural beholder. Whereas some cultures favor a rounder type of body, others like lean bodies. These differences, if nothing else, should be reasons to teach individuals how truly valueless beauty standards are.


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