How Important Is It to Be Attractive in Our Society?


    In our society, it is very important to be attractive. Influenced by the media and beauty standards, teens specifically are striving to achieve the unrealistic body images they see. A study found in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, reports that out of the 13,601 high school students involved, "teens who perceived themselves at either weight extreme — very fat or really skinny — were more than twice as likely as normal-weight teens to attempt or think about suicide" (CBS News 2005). Notice that the study used the word "perceived" because many of the students who thought of themselves as over or underweight were not. The students who were actually over or underweight "were only slightly more likely than normal-weight teens to have suicidal tendencies" (CBS News 2005). This demonstrates that many students from the previous statistic who think of themselves as "not about the right weight", are actually in the "normal-weight range" (CBS News 2005).

    The impact of people who negatively perceive their body weight does not stop at increased suicide rates, and these impacts are not confined only to body weight. Body image is defined as "a person's subjective picture or mental image of their own body" (Oxford Languages 2022). Having a negative body image can cause "Anxiety, Body dysmorphia, Depression, Eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia), Feelings of shame or guilt, Financial strain, Guilt, Negative self talk, Poor self esteem, Preoccupation with weight/body type" (Integris 2022). This means that a negative body image can lead to long-lasting mental health struggles, and can quickly spiral into much more than a perception of body weight. This spiral demonstrates the significance of having a good self body image.

    So where does this idealized body come from? Why do many teens have poor body images? Why are many teens incorrectly thinking of their body as over or underweight when they are healthy? While there could be many answers to these questions, one of the primary sources of these issues is media, specifically Instagram. A study on body image from 2016 "found that exposure to Instagram images that depict attractive and thin celebrities and peers was associated with higher body dissatisfaction levels, mediated by social comparison" (Pedalino, Camerini 2022). Comparison of viewers' bodies to the ones they see on Instagram causes them to feel unattractive. One of the biggest problems with Instagram photos is that they are commonly edited. In 2018, a similar study found that "manipulated Instagram pictures had a negative effect on female adolescents’ body image" (Pedalino, Camerini 2022). These edited photos only encourage poor self images. Teens who are exposed daily to social media platforms like Instagram are constantly reminded that their bodies do not mirror the posts they like. Therefore, we are building generations with poor body images on a foundation of fake photos, bodies, and expectations. 

The effect that Instagram and other social media platforms have on body image in our society is very strong. They are one of the primary sources that determine what we view as "attractive". When those standards are not met, poor self body image appears, which can then lead to serious mental and physical health issues. With these media platforms so present in our lives, it is very important to remind ourselves as well as others that the beauty standards set may not be achievable, real, and certainly not the only way to be beautiful. Though one photo may have your "dream body", it may not be achievable for your body type to look that way. I think it is even more crucial to remember that it may not have even been possible for the person in the photo either. Likely, the photo you have idealized is edited. Finally, always remember that beauty cannot be defined by photos, models, or media platforms, and should not define your beauty because beauty is found in everyone. 

- Julia Smith

Works Cited
Instagram. “Instagram-Icon.” Wikimedia Commons, 14 Mar. 2019,                                     https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Instagram-Icon.png. Accessed 11 Dec. 2022.

“Body Image Issues and Teen Suicide.” CBS News, 6 June 2005, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/body-image-issues-and-teen-suicide/.

“How Does Body Image Affect Mental Health?” Integris, 26 May 2022, https://integrisok.com/resources/on-your-health/2022/may/how-does-body-image-affect-mental-health.

“Oxford Languages and Google - English.” Oxford Languages, https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/. Accessed 11 Dec. 2022.

Pedalino F, Camerini AL. "Instagram Use and Body Dissatisfaction: The Mediating Role of Upward Social Comparison with Peers and Influencers among Young Females." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2022.







Comments

  1. EllaDecember 12, 2022 at 1:25 PM

    I think its very interesting how Instagram has a real affect on people. I liked how you included all of the affects a toxic self image can have on a person. I do think that your title isn't entirely related to your essay, though. You talk more about the effects of the importance of attractiveness rather than how important it is.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Annika DDecember 12, 2022 at 1:30 PM

    Poor body image is a prevalent issue in our society, especially as teenagers. Your sources are very factual which is pretty cool. Body Dysmorphia isn't just being seen a ugly though, it's a mental illness and we should take instagram and other social medias by cautions.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sabrina LuDecember 15, 2022 at 6:37 PM

    I think the distinction between perceived and actual body weight and comparison of statistics is interesting. You mostly talked about negative self-image, but what do you think of pretty privilege and its affect?

    ReplyDelete
  4. KylerDecember 15, 2022 at 9:36 PM

    I find it almost surprising that social media can have such a heavy impact on people, and the statistics you brought up are very interesting. This now makes me curious about the other side of things, how do the people who post these edited images feel?

    ReplyDelete
  5. LanaDecember 16, 2022 at 4:55 PM

    The fact that things like Instagram can impact people so much is somewhat surprising to me. I also find it very interesting that most people who struggle with their body image are not actually overweight or underweight, but society has pushed them to believe so.

    ReplyDelete

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