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How Social Media Influences Teenagers’ Perception

of Beauty

Candidate Name: Rachel Hudson

School: Mount Alvernia High School

Candidate Number: 20210002933

Subject: English Language

Year of Examination: 2021

Teacher: Mrs. McGhie

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Rubric

THE STUDENT OR TEACHER MAY RECORD THE SBA GRADES IN THE

RESPECTIVE SPACES BELOW.

Component of the How each component Marks allotted My CSEC English

SBA is presented and SBA Grades
assessed

Plan of Investigation Individual written 5 Marks

piece

Participation Measure Group orally assessed 5 Marks

Quality of Group Group Orally 10 Marks

Activity Assessed

Written Report Group Written Piece 10 Marks

Reflection Three Individual 5 Marks

Written Pieces

Oral Presentation Individual Orally 10 Marks

Assessed

TOTAL 45 Marks

TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Title Page

Plan of Investigation…………………………………………………………4

Reflection 1…………………………………………………………………..5

Reflection 2…………………………………………………………………..6

Reflection 3…………………………………………………………………..7

Written Report…………………………………………………………..8 – 10

Works Cited…………………………………………………………………11

APPENDIX

Artifact 1…………………………………………………………………....12

Artifact 2................................................................................................13 – 17

Artifact 3........................................................................................................18

Introduction of Oral Presentation..................................................................19

Oral Presentation....................................................................................20 – 21
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Name: Rachel Hudson
Grade: 11 Alacoque
Subject: English Language
Teacher’s name: Mrs. McGhie
School: Mount Alvernia High School
Topic: Beauty Ideals
Sub-topic: How Social Media Influences Teenagers’ Perception of Beauty

Plan of Investigation

My SBA topic is “Beauty Ideals”. I chose the subtopic “How Social Media Influences

Teenagers’ Perception of Beauty” because of my own experiences as a teenage girl in the 21st

century where social media has such a large influence on people. I have realized that this

influence extends to how people view themselves and what they see as beauty. The aim of this

SBA is to find out the extent of this influence on teenagers. I hope to learn just how much this

affects others rather than just myself, as well as it may help me to improve my own acceptance

of beauty.

As a student of English, I believe this SBA will enhance my research skills as I examine

information sources carefully. It will help me to identify the main idea and focus on the key

issue. It may help me to work more efficiently in a group as well. I also think that it will

strengthen my reasoning and writing abilities. I believe that the oral presentation in particular

will develop my public speaking and communication skills. I will be able to express my ideas

more clearly and effectively in the English language.

In my quest for knowledge on this topic, I intend to peruse and collect data relating to this

topic and present the results. I will read articles online from news outlets and various websites as

well as I will watch videos from YouTube. I may also find songs or poems relevant to my sub-

topic. Given the current situation, it may become difficult to focus in the home environment, and

I may become distracted by various elements, being at home all day. Also, I may struggle to
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complete the work efficiently if I do not manage my time properly, considering other tasks that

need to be done. However, through organizing tasks and time with the use of an agenda or to-do

list, I hope to complete this portfolio to the best of my ability.

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Reflection 1

The poem, “Societal Standards for Women”, began with the girl highlighting her imperfections

and feeling obligated to edit her pictures on Instagram for likes. In the end, she reinforces self-

love and acceptance. The poem made me reflect on how critical we are of ourselves as females,

and it made me think that beauty standards are not important, and we should love ourselves as

we are.

The article, “Is Media Setting Unattainable Beauty Standards for Young Women?” highlighted

the way social media promotes insecurities among teenagers and the unrealistic beauty standards

imposed by media. It explained how this may cause eating disorders and noted the emergence of

body-positivity in media, along with the need for promotion of healthy lifestyles and self-love.

This article made me think about how easy it is for social media to influence young girls’ self-

image and how important it is for there to be diversity on social media in terms of body types,

ethnicities and more.

In the video, “True Beauty”, the girl checks social media constantly and is compelled to push a

false narrative of her lifestyle and appearance. It ends with her accepting her flaws and

encouraging self-love. This video reminded me that you see on social media isn’t always the

truth, and it inspired me to be less critical of myself. I feel more confident and in my own skin.
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Reflection 2

          In the poem, “Societal Standards for Women”, the poet uses contrast to compare her looks

with society’s beauty ideals. In line 13, she uses a rhetorical question to get the reader thinking

and to challenge the perceived need to meet the beauty standards set for women. She uses the

idiomatic expression, “Be comfortable in your own skin”, to encourage the readers to accept

their flaws and be confident in who they are. Initially, the tone of the poem is pessimistic, as it is

reflective of the feeling of dissatisfaction that many teenage girls have with their appearances.

The tone shifts to inspirational as the poet seeks to promote self-love. 

          In the article, “Is Media Setting Unattainable Beauty Standards for Young Women?”,

words such as “starving”, “impossible” and “devastating” are used in the first paragraph to

emphasize young women’s struggles as a result of beauty standards. The writer employs

statistical evidence to strengthen the argument that social media affects teenagers’ self-images.

          In the video, “True Beauty” an inspirational tone is used in reassuring the audience of their

self-worth and encouraging them to be themselves. The oxymoron, “perfectly imperfect” is used

to encourage acceptance of self in spite of flaws.

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Reflection 3

The process of completing this SBA has impacted me in various ways. Firstly, researching

my sub-topic and examining my artifacts allowed me to be more aware of how strongly beauty

ideals presented by social media impact teenagers. I am not alone in my struggles with body-

image; this issue is extremely widespread.

I have also benefited from the oral presentation. I am quite shy, so presenting anything in

front of an audience has always made me anxious. In the oral presentation, I was required to

present an original piece in front of my peers and my teacher. This has improved my ability to

express my thoughts confidently.

Lastly, in working with three of my classmates as a group, I have boosted my teamwork and

communication skills. Group work is often stressful, due to members being unwilling to

participate. However, during the SBA process, we worked together effectively. To complete our

written report, we decided to pair up. We gave one paragraph to a pair, and the next to the other

pair, then repeated this. In this way, we were able to work efficiently and get this component of

the SBA done.

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Written Report

The group was formed based on the mutual regards toward the issue “Beauty Ideals”, which was

selected because of its prevalence and importance in today’s society. The individual topics were

chosen based on different aspects of life and were distributed by our individual preferences.

Individual researches were done to gather artifacts then shared within the group. The pieces were

chosen by analyzing the most appropriate artifacts for the topic. The artifacts we chose were a

video, an article and a blog post. Collectively, the following questions were formulated for a

better understanding of the topic:

1.      Who are most likely to be affected by this issue?

2.      Is the media setting unattainable beauty standards for young women?

3.      What impacts do beauty standards have on teenagers?

To analyze the three artifacts, we examined the most important thoughts and broad points

expressed in the pieces. From the artifacts it was perceived that beauty ideals have a large

impact, often a very negative one, on people’s wellbeing, both mentally and physically.

According to the video “Documentary on Societal Beauty Standards” (Bay Area Digital Arts,

2017), the issue mainly affected young females. The video stated that only 4% of women

consider themselves beautiful (Bay Area Digital Arts, 2017). Social media like Instagram and

Facebook depict feminine beauty ideals as an hourglass figure, long hair and acne-free skin,

while males should be tanned and muscular. Everyone was made different and these

requirements are unattainable and unrealistic. This pressures the minds of youths which further
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leads to serious mental health issues, eating disorders and other complications. This issue is

devastating as youths think they should “fit in”.

According to the article “Is Media Setting Unattainable Beauty Standards for Young Women?”

teenagers, especially young women, are most likely to be affected by this issue, (TeenInk, 2018).

The article states, “The unrealistic standard of beauty that women are bombarded with every day

gives them a goal that is impossible to reach...” (TeenInk, 2018), which confirms that media is

setting unattainable beauty standards for women. Promoting a particular ethnicity or body type as

beautiful leaves teenagers of different ethnicities or body types simply unable to achieve this

standard of beauty, thus, feeling worthless and ugly. Beauty standards often have negative

impacts on teenagers, causing insecurity, low self-esteem, body dissatisfaction and disordered

eating behaviours. Teenagers are avid users of social media and being presented with certain

features being deemed as standards of beauty encourages them to compare themselves and hence

diminishes their self-worth when they do not measure up to these standards. 

The blog post, “Media Today: Unattainable Beauty Standards” says that beauty ideals presented

by the media can negatively impact young girls with unhealthy messages about body image,

(Cameron Davis, 2016). The lack of diversity in media leaves many feeling underrepresented.

Celebrities and brands have now begun to promote body positivity and more diversity.

According to the blog post, young girls are most likely to be affected by this issue, (Cameron

Davis, 2016). The post confirms that the media sets unattainable beauty standards for young

women: “We constantly see these unattainable standards of beauty in the media and it can cause

a lot of harm on young girls.” (Cameron Davis, 2016). It states that beauty standards presented in

the media can cause body dissatisfaction, low self-esteem and disordered eating such as

restricting food, binging and purging. 

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To conclude, with the help from our artifacts, we have found that beauty ideals greatly affect

people, mostly young females, and frequently cause extensive harm by changing the way people

see themselves. When people feel as if they do not measure up to these standards, which are

often unrealistic, it can take a toll on their mental and physical health and cause destructive

behaviours. 

        
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Work Cited Page

Power Poetry. [2017, November 17]. Societal Standards for Women. Retrieved September 23,

2020, from https://powerpoetry.org/poems/societal-standards-women

TeenInk. [2018, April 23]. Is Media Setting Unattainable Beauty Standards for Young Women?

Retrieved September 23, 2020, from

https://www.teenink.com/nonfiction/personal_experience/article/991458/Is-Media-Setting-

Unattainable-Beauty-Standards-for-Young-Women

Grace, L. [2019, April 24]. True Beauty. Retrieved September 23, 2020, from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3cN8FxeM3w

Bay Area Digital Arts. [2017, June 2]. Documentary on Societal Beauty Standards. Retrieved
October 31, 2020 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eAL4JNQQU8&t=1s

Davis, C. [2016, July 27]. Media Today: Unattainable Beauty Standards. Retrieved October 31,

2020, from https://www.girlsempowermentnetwork.org/blog/media-today-unattainable-beauty-

standards
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Artifact 1

Societal Standards for Women – Power Poetry

My hair is long, which is nice, but I have too many split ends,

My natural hair is wavy, not straight like theirs in my defense,

I’m short, I could never be a model, I don’t have the body for that,

I don’t have an hourglass figure, I’m not thick, I’m just fat,

I don’t have high cheek bones, so I fake it with makeup,

And my boobs aren’t big enough, so I’ll always have to wear a push-up,

I had braces years ago, but my teeth aren’t perfectly straight and white,

So, I’ll have to use editing apps in order for my Instagram pictures to get likes,

I’m not naturally pretty, I don’t have perfect skin like everyone else does,

But you know what? It’s okay, screw the social media buzz,

We are shown at young ages what an ideal woman should look like,

And told that if we don’t look and act a certain way, a man will certainly dislike,

Who came up with these standards and why are women still trying to be someone they’re not?

Instead, we should be loving ourselves and letting them come to us, but that’s just a thought.

Be comfortable in your own skin, love yourself and do things for YOU,

Because you are all that matters, and happiness is something you can choose.

Created November 17, 2017

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Artifact 2

Is Media Setting Unattainable Beauty Standards for Young Women? – TeenInk

“Looks don’t matter; beauty is only skin-deep.” “Everyone is beautiful, beauty is in the heart.”

We hear these sayings every day, but we still live in a society that seems to challenge this very

idea. If looks don’t matter, why does the media use airbrushing or Photoshop to hide any flaws a

person has? There have been several complaints from celebrities who were unhappy that they

were photoshopped so much that they looked far from reality. If looks don’t matter, why are so

many young women starving themselves because they’re unhappy with the way they look? It’s

because our society promotes a certain body image as being beautiful. The unrealistic standard

of beauty that women are bombarded with every day gives them a goal that is impossible to

reach, and the effects are devastating. These impossible standards need to be stopped, and

society instead needs to promote a healthy body image along with the idea that women of all

shapes and sizes are beautiful.

I’m living in a generation where cell phones and social media are practically like food and water

for teenagers. Because of all the images and the ideal standard of “beauty” that is displayed on

media, many teenagers(often young women) like to compare themselves with each other, and

that’s where emotions like insecurity or simply feeling as if you’re not good enough begin to

appear. To add on, I admit that I do sometimes obsess over the amount of “likes” and

“followers” and I’m sure many other girls feel pressure from this as well because teenagers often

like to compete in these specific areas. According to some research, I found out that it only takes

thirty minutes of online exposure before a young woman begins feeling self-conscious about
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themselves. This is so shocking to me because I am usually exposed to about nine hours of media

a day. Being from a Chinese descent, the beauty standards in Asia are also quite high. The ideal

standard of beauty is a slim, tall body, fair pale skin, and double eyelids. Being very thin is a

popular desire and there are even internet trends like the “A4 paper body challenge” where

women would take pictures of their waist compared to a piece of A4 paper. This scares me a

little because having a waist as wide as a piece of A4 paper is pretty unappealing to me.

Additionally, when I visit my relatives they usually make fun of how tan I am from soccer and

how much prettier I’d be if I had fair white skin. I think that body images should be displayed

less or be more diverse. I’m living in a generation where cell phones and social media are

practically like food and water for teenagers. Because of all the people that are displayed on

media, many teenagers-often young women like to compare themselves, each other, and that just

spreads negativity instead of positivity that we need.

There have also been many reports from previous models sharing their experience in the

modeling industry and state how much pressure they had from the companies to be stick-thin.

Thankfully, an Australian model named Rosie Nelson has been campaigning to force modeling

agencies to look after every model’s physical and mental health, after her own experience where

her agent wanted her "down to the bone." “I am old enough to know better, but if I had been 16,

it would have been heartbreaking,” said Nelson last week. “It makes you feel horrible about

yourself, knowing that you’re not OK the way you are. I was already eating mostly steamed

vegetables and fruit, I wasn’t eating any sugar, avoiding dairy, avoiding just everything, really,

and doing more than an hour of exercise every day. I didn’t feel good about myself. I was

becoming a slave to achieving what they wanted me to do.” states Rosie, 23. Nelson achieved
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almost 114,000 signatories last week after handing her petition to Downing Street, appealing for

policymakers to demand regular health checks for models who, she says, “are becoming anorexic

and doing drastic things to get ahead. There really isn’t any reason why they can’t adapt to

having healthier-looking girls of more diversity and more range.” The fashion and modeling

industries need to start taking responsibility for the "ideal figures" they are holding up to the

wider range of models in the world. Several countries like Spain and France are trying to keep

models at a healthy weight instead of anorexically thin(Kay, Karen).

In 2018, it’s very common for teenagers to engage in media(TV, Social Networks). In fact,

according to a study in 2015 by Common Sense Media, teens spend nine hours on an average

day on watching media like movies, television, social media sites. Kids like to be active on social

media and are very concerned with how often they need to post every day(Davis, Cameron).

They almost feel as if it’s mandatory to present what’s been happening every day to the public

eye. In result, every like and comment gets tallied up and used as competition. Social Media can

be dangerous because for somewhat starts as a fun way to document and share experiences can

turn into an obsession that can ruin one’s self-image. New stats and studies are just beginning to

determine the effects of social media on the way kids view themselves. A Common Sense survey

called Children, Teens, Media, and Body Image found that many teens who are active online

fret about how they're perceived, and that girls are particularly vulnerable:

35 percent are worried about people tagging them in unattractive photos.

27 percent feel stressed about how they look in posted photos.

22 percent felt bad about themselves if their photos were ignored (Knorr, Caroline).
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I think that media is setting unrealistic beauty standards for young women. One thing that could

lead to is body dissatisfaction. Research has shown that media has a negative impact on girl's

self-esteem and that unhealthy messages such as needing to have a thigh gap and a flat stomach.

All these messages about body image on media lead to disordered eating behaviors, such as

restricting food, binging, and purging. These behaviors develop because of these teens thinking

that they need to look like and obtain these unattainable body types(Davis, Cameron).

One of the biggest and unhealthy "ideal" image that social media preserves are female celebrities

that are tall, white, and thin. This is not good for girls from different ethnicities or girls who

struggle with weight issues because they might feel as if they are not good enough as the

stereotypes. A study held in 2015 by Laura Romo focused on a group of Mexican American

females and a discussion on their view of body image and the media. Most of the girls agreed

that being thin was the ideal beauty of media shown in movies, TV, ads.. they still feel pressured

of reflecting this mainstream images. A 16-year-old girl in the focus group said “in white culture

basically you just have to be skinny. Because you see it on TV, you see it in magazines, you see

it everywhere. Everywhere you go, you basically hear that you are supposed to be like that.” If

this is what girls of color are seeing in the media, you can imagine how that affects their own

body image(Davis, Cameron).

Despite all the negativity that media has portrayed on young women, there are has been a spread

of body positivity. For example, Dove’s beauty campaign features women of all shapes and sizes

in their advertisements. The rest of media should really begin to follow Dove’s footsteps and put

a stop to body shaming. Instead of focusing on a person’s weight and a certain look to meet the
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ideal standard of beauty, we should promote healthy lifestyles in order to stay fit, or diverse

beauty all around the world for young women to feel good about themselves again and not be

pressured to look a certain way. It’s about time to make sure every girl feels beautiful for being

themselves, not stress over who they are not.

Created April 23, 2018

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Artifact 3

True Beauty – Lindsay Grace

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3cN8FXeM3w

Created April 24, 2019

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Introduction of Oral Presentation

A pleasant afternoon to you all. My name is Rachel Hudson and I will be presenting on the

topic “How Social Media Influences Teenagers’ Perception of Beauty” under the theme “Beauty

Ideals”. I will be using a poem to present the information gathered from my artifacts as it relates

to the topic. My piece is entitled “Sophie” and it will be about a teenage girl who struggles with

her self-image due to the unrealistic beauty standards presented to her by social media.

I chose to use this particular genre because I am somewhat familiar with it and I thought that

it would be a good and interesting way to speak about something relating to my sub-topic. My

piece will include the following devices: rhyme, repetition, personification, onomatopoeia and

figure of speech, to convey my message about the effects that social media has on teenagers and

how they view themselves and what is beautiful. It will be done using the third-person point of

view which I believe is effective because it allows the poem to narrate the experiences of the girl

from the outside looking in.

I will use the informal register because I want to express the piece in a manner that is more

emotional and personal, as the sub-topic is an issue that is very relatable, as it widely affects

teenagers today. My artifacts were vital as they provided me with the inspiration and awareness

that helped me in constructing my poem.

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Oral Presentation

SOPHIE

As another day passes, Sophie’s self-dissatisfaction grows.

She just can’t help but scroll through Instagram like it’s the only thing she knows.

She checks social media as soon as the sun’s up.

And splish, splash; her tears dance with the coffee in her cup.

She sees girls in bikinis with their stomachs so flat,

And she cries to herself, “How can I live up to that?”

“You’re too young for makeup” was what her mother said.

But go out in public with a bare face? She’d rather be dead!

Influencers with glowing skin made hers a mediocre base.

So she used makeup to apply perfection to her face.

Sophie only picked at her food during dinner.

“If I skip this meal,” she thought, “I’m sure to wake up thinner!”

But skipping dinner turned into also skipping breakfast, lunch and everything in between.

Why, she was only trying to look like the celebrities she’d seen.

“Beautiful” is the last word she’d use to describe herself.

If you asked her what beauty was, she’d point to the picture of Kylie on her shelf.
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To Sophie, beauty is what she sees online, and it brings her much pain,

Because as far as she knows, beauty is just something she’ll never attain.

–– Rachel Hudson