In the Eye of the Beholder

SAMYUKTHA SRIDHAR | APRIL 28, 2022 | FEATURES

As maturing individuals, students at Stanton College Preparatory School and teenagers alike are at a stage of exploration, influenced by various beliefs and goals as they establish their identity. With this, one’s journey is measured by internal experimentation and changing perceptions towards external factors, most notably being beauty. Since the idea of beauty and what constitutes the perfect exterior is constantly evolving, today, the ideal look is not one calculated by a mathematical formula, but one the public has been conditioned to perceive as beautiful. 

“The beauty standards that pervade our society has blinded many from realizing that their differences are the product of cultural diversity, and that what makes them unique is something worth embracing,” said senior Joaquin Marcelino.

By experimenting with various looks, teenagers begin to fully establish their identity and embrace their unique qualities. According to noted psychologist Erik Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development, most teenagers fit into the stage labeled “identity versus role confusion,”  where teenagers famously rebel and respond “unusually” to their surroundings. What is typically coined as a rebellion is merely an adolescent undergoing a psychosocial crisis, a period where individuals determine who they want to be.

“As I have matured, I have gotten to a point in life where I have grown more appreciative of myself and where I come from,” said Marcelino.

Erikson explained that a teenager’s development must be encouraged by their surroundings. When there is a lack of support from an individual’s community, they will likely end up in role confusion, a stage when an individual undergoes a state of uncertainty, potentially going through life as the person they are expected to be by their friends, family, or society, rather than their true self. Today’s prevalence of social media, photo editing, and access to makeup and plastic surgery, inhibits an individual’s development as they begin building their identity off of trends they see online.

“Trends are constantly coming in and out,” said junior Natalie Vu. “As certain trends die out, new ones replace them, creating this never ending cycle of expectations for beauty.” 

Over the years, social media has skewed the youth’s perception of beauty. According to ScienceDirect research, social media is formulated based on the attention-extraction model, where companies profit off the surveillance of user habits. Using this information, social media platforms present their users with advertisements and posts they are more likely to interact with, creating a pattern of scrolling. While under the influence of this system, users are constantly being exposed to the ideal body type and heavily edited photos, resulting in constant comparison to unrealistic beauty standards. 

 Social media company officials are aware of the debilitating effects such manufactured algorithms create for their users, yet they continue the practice. In 2021, Facebook whistleblower Francis Haugen exposed  the harmful nature of social media. Having worked for many social media companies, Haugen was reportedly shocked after being exposed to Facebook’s business practices, and later disclosed the company’s internal documents to government officials. 

“I believe Facebook’s products harm children,” said Haugen to a Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection in October 2021.  

While social media is a fairly new network that affects the current generation, the development of technology has fundamentally altered the way people perceive themselves and others. With the introduction of photo editing softwares such as Photoshop and Facetune, users are able to transform their realities into sought after fantasies, making it difficult for viewers to distinguish between real and manipulated images. As a result, these technological advancements have presented youth with a false sense of reality.

 “To push an agenda that certain features are ugly, and should be altered is disgusting,” said sophomore Glenda Bong. “People could like their ethnic features, but when they have voices around them basically calling them hideous, it can completely destroy their self-esteem.”

As beauty standards rise in influence with the aid of technology, a homogenous idea of beauty is brought to the forefront. Oftentimes, people are judged for failing to embody the “ideal body,” potentially hindering their confidence. Features like pouty lips, overarching eyebrows, and an hourglass figure, are shared by various influencers and celebrities. As such beauty standards become more widespread, clones are created as followers mimic such beauty using makeup, filters, edits, and plastic surgery, in search of validation and acceptance. 

“I have no problem at all with people altering their appearance with plastic surgery,” said junior Ibrahim Maidani. “However, they need to disclose any work done so they aren’t pushing unrealistic standards onto the younger generation.”

While online trends and constant exposure to social media can decrease one’s level of confidence with their appearance, discrimination and body shaming has acted as an aid in such consequences. Body shaming is the act of humiliating someone by making critical comments about their appearance, and in an age where vocalizing opinions is easier than ever, it has become a common issue among society. According to a 2016 Yahoo Health Survey, conducted on a nationally representative sample of 2,000 people, 94% of teen females and 64% of teen males have experienced body shaming. The prevalence of body shaming in today’s society has led to a decline in mental health and overall self-esteem among teeangers.

“Teenagers shouldn’t have to live in a world where they are bullied or criticized for their bodies,” said freshman Mahi Tol. “But unfortunately, body shaming has become so common, it's to the point where people hate themselves and obsess over something they can’t even control.”

Beauty standards can also hinder teenagers’ ability to express themselves in the way they see fit. As adolescents continue experimenting with various looks and styles to see which matches their persona, they are impeded by the influences of trends they see online and those who fail to see past the social construct presented by society.  

“Beauty standards dig deep into my self-expression,” said junior Jadan Valdez. “When I wear something I feel confident in, some people will perceive it as too feminine or too masculine and unfortunately the judgment I get from others prevents me and many others  from projecting ourselves in the way we want to.”

The lack of representation for various races, body shapes, and sizes takes away the sense of relatability teenagers need in order to build a healthy relationship with their own appearances. A 2011 study in the Journal of Consumer Research found that advertisements featuring thin and attractive models can lower consumers’ self-esteem. As part of the research, four experiments were conducted to examine how a consumer evaluated themselves and a product when it was advertised versus when it was not advertised.  The research found that exposure to products advertised alongside thin and attractive models lowered consumers’ self-evaluation. 

"The fashion industry plays an extremely significant role in how a person perceives themselves,” said junior Angela Lim. “As someone who works in retail, I can say that a lot of stores aren't all inclusive, and it can be a really hard thing for people to shop somewhere and realize that their body sizes or shapes aren’t even considered when clothing items are manufactured.”

 The underlying idea that a specific body size or skin complexion is superior to another can also prove harmful for a younger audience. As teenagers internalize this message, dissatisfaction with their appearance can emerge. With this, many turn to unhealthy means in order to achieve the beauty standard plastered around them. According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, those who are dissatisfied with their looks are more likely to develop other mental disorders, making it important for all body sizes to be represented in the media.

“As a Filipino-Chinese American, Eurocentric beauty standards have caused me so much stress in regards to my self-image and confidence, ultimately affecting how I interacted with myself and others,” said Marcelino. 

While  people continue trying to comply with such ideals, they are met with a variety of psychological issues. According to the National Eating Disorder Association, frequent exposure to the ideal body types in mainstream media contributes to increased body dissatisfaction in young adults. From an early age, people are exposed to images showcasing perfection, and their subjection to such beauty standards extends past childhood. When people inevitably fail to reach this level of so-called perfection, a series of psychological impacts follow, including a reduced self-esteem, depression, and even eating disorders. 

“I felt bad about eating, especially my own culture’s food, as I wanted to follow diet fads that would make me skinnier,” said Marcelino. “While I am still conscious about my weight and body, my self-image is slowly improving as I begin measuring it in relation to my own health, rather than through arbitrary factors.” 

The human drive for social acceptance prevails as people continue measuring their beauty through the eyes of society rather than their own. As more people educate themselves on the debilitating effects of beauty standards, change is created. Over the past 50 years, an increase in diversity among various body shapes and sizes in the media has propelled an increase in inclusivity within the fashion industry. As more people begin to find comfort in their own skin, the influence of society is soundly left in the background.