‘Fox eyes’, a slim nose with the perfect point, the sharpest jawline, inflated lips along with flawless, blemish-free skin, a minuscule waist, the widest hips that the human body could possibly allow for and the thickest thighs are just apart of the long list of today’s beauty standards that women must adhere to in order to be perceived as beautiful and desirable by society.
Many of the beauty standards throughout the years have been based on European ideals of beauty. However, in recent years these ideals have been heavily influenced by women of colour and especially black women. However, women of lighter complexions such as Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian have been heralded as pioneers and have been made the face of the standard. However, women of colour who were the inspiration behind most of the standards, have not been given their rightful credit.
Beauty standards have always been a part of society for as long as it has been documented whether it’s through television, movies, or magazines. The mediums where the standards have been shared have not changed however, the standards have. Drastically. In the 1950s, the ‘perfect lady’, determined by patriarchal standards, was a strong influence on beauty standards. This meant that curves were strongly emphasised, along with pale skin along with bold colour on the cheeks.
In the 90s, there were differing beauty standards which included neotenous features that were popularised by the iconic model Kate Moss and singer Björk which symbolised youth and innocence, along with heroin chic which popularised the stick-thin figure. On the other hand, supermodels such as Cindy Crawford, Tyra Banks, and Naomi Campbell made the athletic yet shapely body highly sought after. The fluctuation in standards poses the question: Why is the female body treated as a fickle fashion trend that goes through constant cycles of ‘being in fashion’?
Though every generation has had to deal with their own set of standards that young girls and women may have felt pressure to follow, these beauty standards are affecting us in a different way due to social media. Fashion magazines, TV shows, and movies were the main forms of media that promoted unattainable beauty ideals that consumers had to follow in order to be perceived as the pinnacle of beauty. While these mediums are still used, they are not as accessible as social media which is constantly in the palm of our hands and only requires a decent internet connection. Social media platforms such as Instagram, Tik Tok, Twitter, and Pinterest reinforce these beauty standards by positioning women who fit current beauty ideals at the forefront of their platforms. For example, Tik Tok’s algorithm is set up so that conventionally attractive young people, especially young girls and women, are being thrust onto your For You Page. This means that we are more than ever exposed to seemingly perfect women and find it difficult to escape their ‘perfection’.
Users play a vital part in pushing beauty standards on social media. Likes, comments, and retweets serve as almost a currency that is used to validate a women’s beauty in compliance with beauty standards. Those who attain to the almost impossible standards, often with the help of Facetune, fillers, and invasive plastic surgery, are rewarded with thousands and sometimes even millions of followers, along with thousands of likes and comments.
The positive reinforcement and validation that we as social media consumers observe these public figures receive make young girls such as myself compare their self-image to these perfect images. And to also wonder what they can change about themselves in order to assimilate to these beauty standards and get the same adoration and praise. This can be quite a normal response as adolescence and young adulthood is a period of time that is plagued with instability and insecurity. Therefore, regular validation from random strangers would make it seem as if something is finally going right in life and can temporarily fill a void. Emphasis on temporarily.
The toxic cycle of comparing ourselves to flawless people on social media, heavily criticising our own physical appearance, and doing whatever we can in our power to change ourselves in order to become one step closer to fitting the standard is detrimental. These public figures rarely ever tell the truth about the extremes that they bravely endure in order to acquire their snatched body or symmetrical face. This often pushes girls who consistently scroll through social media platforms to go to extremes themselves in order to achieve their desired look. This can lead to developing disordered eating habits, getting facial fillers at a young age, or undergoing dangerous surgeries such as BBLs (Brazilian Butt Lift).
These quick fixes may not always work and can result in botched work and health complexities. Influencers who have had issues with their fillers or surgeries and bravely speak out to their audience has sparked conversations on social media. These conversations focus on our constant exposure to perfectly doctored images that can trigger the onset of body dysmorphia as well as other self-image issues. However, is it the moral responsibility of influencers to tell audiences whenever they edit their face or body in pictures? Or to warn their audience about surgeries and their potential dangers? Or should we as consumers use our initiative and conclude for ourselves that an image has been doctored or whether that influencer has had fillers that helped them to achieve their perfect look.
My intention for this think piece is not to condemn women who have a large platform on social media and use their beauty as capital. However, the influx of people looking perfect at all times on social media has contributed to young people striving to achieve a perfect appearance which is not always possible. The ways I managed to suppress this feeling is to limit my time on social media and to only follow people who inspire me creatively, people who make me laugh, and my family and friends. That way I won’t succumb to the pressure to chase after an impossible standard of beauty.
