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Katherine Fernandez

Ms. Figueroa

Senior English

9 March 2019

Appearance vs Reality

Appearances can be deceiving, and a person can go through life without anyone

understanding the true reality of their character. Society judge’s people based on their

relationships, motives, and fully on their appearance but in reality, it may be the total opposite of

what we perceive them to be. Appearance vs reality is shown in Shakespeare play, Macbeth Act

1 scene 1 when the witch’s state, “Fair is foul, and foul is faith”. This shows how Macbeth

makes it seem like he is preparing his home for his guests when really, he is planning on killing

Duncan. Macbeth’s universal theme of appearance vs reality is seen in today’s society in social

media, celebrities and general public.

Today, millions of people use social media to share their photos and get inspired by other

users. The misuse of the internet is a problem that is now impacting all generations that make

people believe everything they see. “Social media is a world. We live through our screens… It’s

the only place we can escape the realities we portray to our friends and family” (Alwahidi 14).

People on social media tend to only post what they want people to see when really it is all a fake

platform. Almost all the pictures we see on social media are photo shopped or have some sort of

editing such as filters. “We as women are constantly comparing ourselves to other women

without even realizing were doing it… by tucking in your waist so that the walls curve inward or

slimming down your face so that you look like the alien emoji, does not define self-confidence”

(Kipersztok 8). Many women go through Instagram looking at pictures of bodies they wished
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they had and picture an image of what a perfect body looks like such as having a small waist,

thick thigs, and big butt, but what nobody truly knows is what is really behind the screen.

Appearance vs reality plays a huge roll in today’s world that makes people believe we have to be

a certain way to “fit in”.

When people think of celebrities, the first thing that comes to mind is how lucky and

happy they are because the amount of money they have and their fame. Sia is a pop singer who is

not only known for her vocals but it’s the way she presents herself in the public eye. She wears

wigs that cover the front of her face when she’s around cameras due to her wanted to stay

anonymous and live a normal life. The pop singer Sia said, “If anyone besides famous people

knew what it was like to be a famous person, they would never want to be famous” (Frydkin 5).

Most people think that becoming famous is all fun games when in reality it is not as simple and

easy as they think. What people do not know about being famous is how some celebrities are not

allowed to do what they please or act how they want, in other words, being controlled. Tyra

Banks supermodel said, “Models have so much pressure today. They have to look good on AND

off the set. They have to arrive backstage at fashion shows looking and dressed as if they are

already ON a runway. They have to be slimmer than slim. Skinnier than skinny. They have to

have tons of followers on social media to book top notch jobs.” (Tonic 21). There has been

many models who have stepped down from social media game because they are tired of making

it seem they live a perfect life when really it is all an act. When it comes to becoming famous,

people only think about the positive side and don’t take time to think about both pro and con.

The majority of people who deal with real mental health issues don’t seek for the

appropriate care they need. People who suffer from mental illness feel the need to hide it from

the world due to our society being so oblivious. “People recognize the negative stigma and
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discrimination associated with having a mental illness and don’t want to be labeled “mentally ill”

or “crazy.” They may also have concerns about how such a label could negatively impact their

career, education, or other life goals” (Susman 6). People with mental health issues have this

constant pressure from society that we need to be happy and look like we are okay. People feel

like they are the only ones going through this when in reality they are not alone. Miley Cyrus, a

pop artist who suffers from depression says that she was never depressed of the way someone

else made her feel, she was just simply depressed. She goes on to say, "Depression is more of an

issue than people really want to talk about. Because people don't know how to talk about being

depressed—that it's totally okay to feel sad (Roberts 7). Most people don’t know how to

communicate and find it hard to explain what they are going through and what they feel so

instead they choose not to seek help. Overall, mental illness is a common disorder that many

people tend to hide and are afraid to speak up about.

Today’s society suffers from a lack of realism, which is seen through this generation and

aspects such as social media, celebrities, and general public. Macbeth in the beginning of the

play is naive and content with his place in life which later changes using the distinction between

appearance vs reality in order to hide his true intentions. These themes are mostly seen through

social media. General society puts a world out there for people to see what they want them to see

when in reality it is not as lavish as it seems. After reading Macbeth, appearance vs reality means

that things are not always as they seem and the biggest mistake anyone can do is believe

everything they see on social media.

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Work Cited

Alwahaidi, Keena. “Two-Faced: How Social Media Is Turning Us Into A Fake

Generation.” Elite Daily, Elite Daily, 17 Dec. 2018, www.elitedaily.com/life/social-

media-making-us-faker/1101264.

Kipersctok, Melissa. “Why Girls Should Stop Over-Editing Their Pictures on Social Media.” The

Odyssey Online, Odyssey, 26 Aug. 2017, www.theodysseyonline.com/why-girls-should-

stop-over-editing-their-pictures-social-media.

Roberts, Kayleigh. “39 Celebrities Who Have Opened Up About Mental Health.” Harper's

BAZAAR, Harper's BAZAAR, 15 Jan. 2018,

www.harpersbazaar.com/celebrity/latest/g15159447/celebrities-depression-anxiety-

mental-health/?slide=7.

Susman, David. “8 Reasons Why People Don't Get Treatment for Mental Illness.” David Susman

PhD, 2 June 2017, davidsusman.com/2015/06/11/8-reasons-why-people-dont-get-mental-

health-treatment/.

Tonic, Gina. “11 Times Celebs Got Real About Beauty Pressures.” Bustle, Bustle, 17 Dec. 2018,

www.bustle.com/articles/139529-11-times-celebrities-got-real-about-the-beauty-

pressures-of-hollywood-the-world-at-large.