Teens face insane beauty standards today
by Emma E.
Teenagers are feeling the full effects of beauty standards, that have always been around but their effects have gotten worse in recent years all over the globe, and give teens many different mental disorders. Today everywhere in the world teenagers are struggling with beauty standards.
There are many different “beauty standards” and they include:
You have to be curvy, but if you are you can't wear tight clothes because then you’re seeking attention.
Your hair has to be neat and not greasy.
You have to be skinny but if you are too skinny people think there is something wrong with you and assume that you have a eating disorder.
You can't be too tall if you're a woman, but if you’re a guy you can't be too short."
You can't be quiet or you'll be labeled as a “weird kid.
Your face has to be perfect.
If you try to dress up and look nice you're “trying to hard.”
If f you're a guy you cant be super thin and you have to have muscles.
You have to have good style or you are considered “poor.”
If you are a woman and you wear makeup to school and you decide not to wear it that day people ask if you are sick or if something is wrong.
Madilyn B. said, “It makes me sad that we live in a world where you're only fount attractive if you follow the beauty standards.”
All of that is just skimming the top of the list of beauty standards, these kind of things critique your every move and everything about your body and personality. Influencers on Tiktok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat all of these social media apps have people influencing people to spend money, and change themselves just so they can fit into the beauty standards.
Madilyn B. said, “I think people influence beauty standards to make everyone else like the because they probably think they are better than everyone else” another thing Madilyn said was “ why are they trying to make themselves look like someone they are not for the amusement of others”
There are many different mental illnesses that beauty standards can cause such as, negative body image, eating disorders, depression and anxiety, social isolation and low self-esteem. Today 89% of the population have low self esteem, while more than 4 million teenagers have depression, with a 20% of suicide rate in high school students.
Madilyn B. said, “These beauty standards make me wish i was someone else” Madilyn also said “ i would rather be anyone else but myself.”
Teenagers already go through a lot, they do not need to live up to other people expectations and standards just to be happy with themselves.