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Kayla Peang

Professor Jose

English 1A

29 October 2021

The “Perfect” Image

Every day, there are millions of posts from all types of celebrities on social media. As

they’re creating the image of their perfect life, it can cause others to feel the need to replicate

that. In addition to celebrities and influencers’ “perfect” lifestyles, their looks can be

portrayed as destructive. Social media creates unrealistic beauty standards from ideal body

types to glasslike skin. Oftentimes, photos are edited with filters to clear out the

“imperfections”. Unrealistic beauty standards formed by social media becomes harmful

because it creates their followers to have mental issues, identify issues, and eating disorders.

It’s important to realize that all of the “flaws” that aren’t shown on social media are normal

and natural.

The Kardashians are one of the most popular groups of celebrities that form the basis

of beauty standards. They have become known as the “modern-day plastic surgery” family.

During the Keeping up with the Kardashians reunion Kim Kardashian reveals that she doesn't

believe her family is setting unrealistic beauty standards by saying, "'No, I don't. Because I

think we get up, we do the work. We work out, ...referring to the early-morning workouts she

and her sisters often share on social media." This statement was a revelation to many as it

showed her awareness that their social media presence was huge. Although, Kim may not be

aware of how damaging their influence on social media may be. This doesn't change the fact

that it has and still is affected the lives of people all over the world.
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Although a mass variety of people are affected negatively by social media. Social

media’s beauty standards usually gravitate towards females. Young females would analyze

every bit of a simple photo uploaded and question, “Why don’t I look like that?” or “Why

aren’t I as skinny?”. This self-loathing usually leads to them wanting to be beautiful and

skinny at all costs, and this is where the formation of mental issues comes in. According to

Life Sciences Journal, "This body dissatisfaction can affect other areas of your mental health

as well, leading to lower self-esteem and even depression. A 2016 study conducted by Woods

and Scott found that young adults with increased use of social media, experienced poorer

sleep quality, lower self-esteem, and higher levels of anxiety and depression. Furthermore,

the Royal Society for Public Health found that in addition to these effects of social media,

loneliness, and feelings of isolation were also consequences of cyberbullying." With these

results, it's quite clear that the rise in social media and the rise in mental illness are correlated.

This causes a whole new generation to feel self-conscious, and a lot of young people are

spending their time feeling insecure in their own bodies.

The "ideal" body images portrayed on social media are usually edited or created by

plastic surgeons. There are situations where influencers would deny the fact that they've

manipulated their photos or have done a medical producer. This is a problem because lying

creates the formality that the way influencers look is "natural". Which, in reality, it's the exact

opposite of natural. In Ntianu Obiora's view, "Every day, we see the hashtag 'body goals' or

'thinspo,' which is supposed to serve as inspiration to acquire a thin body. In essence, social

media tells us that we need to be a beautiful person in order to be worthy which could not be

further from the truth. According to eating disorders statistics estimated by the National

Eating Disorder Association, in the USA up to 30 million people suffer from an eating

disorder such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or binge eating disorder. Worldwide the

figure is more like 70 million sufferers." It's clear that social media is a huge contributor to
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the rise in eating disorders. Eating disorders are serious issues that could result in health

problems, which should not be taken lightly. This is why it's so important to educate and

warn others about these illnesses influenced on social media.

During the ages of 13-18, there's a lot of decision-making between their identities and

what they'd like to do with their lives. With that said, social media is a contributor to young

teens' identities. It's a place to get a lot of information about what others think about them and

what their place and identity are in society. Marcia herself writes, "These crises cause internal

tension and emotional upheaval, forcing teenagers to analyze their values, beliefs, and

aspirations and doubt them. They can develop new beliefs, accept different values, and make

different choices as they explore new possibilities. Every identity status is a basic

configuration of the progress of an adolescent with regard to identity exploration and

dedication to the values, beliefs, and goals that contribute to identity (Marcia 551)." As young

teens are unsure of who and what they'll like to be, it can cause them to be confused and

initially label themselves as who they are not. Social Media's beauty standards can control the

constant need to change oneself to fit in.

As a society, it's important to take a step back and recognize the dangers of unrealistic

beauty standards. The beauty industry does a great job of pushing these ideals onto us

through its advertisements and media, but the truth is that it's okay to have flaws. Just

because a person isn't "perfect" doesn't mean they don't deserve to be in this world. It is

possible that this is the first time many of us are hearing of these beauty influencers that have

influenced young people's self-esteem; however, in today's world, it is vital to recognize that

these influences can cause serious issues for those that suffer from them. As influencers and

followers become more aware, it is possible to share body positivity with all body types.

Also, the "imperfections" such as acne scars or stretch marks. The point is that as a whole,

society can be more accepting of people who are not "perfect." With that said, it is important
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to teach ourselves as a society to promote acceptance and not the need to follow a "perfect"

life. We must teach our youth to be compassionate towards others and to be more empathetic.

As well as, we must do what we can to help those who are currently struggling from the

effects of this negative influence.

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Works Cited

Elsayed, Walaa. “The Negative Effects of Social Media on the Social Identity of Adolescents

from the Perspective of Social Work.” Heliyon, Elsevier, 21 Feb. 2021,

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844021004321.

Kaitlyn Frey June 21, 2021, 11:34 AM. “Kim Kardashian Doesn't Think Her Family

Promotes Unattainable Standards of Beauty.” PEOPLE.com,

https://people.com/style/kuwtk-reunion-kim-kardashian-doesnt-think-family-promote-

unrealistic-beauty-standards/.

Obiora, Ntianu. “The Dark Side of Social Media: How Unrealistic Beauty Standards Are

Causing Identity Issues.” Pulse Ghana, 10 May 2021,

https://www.pulse.com.gh/lifestyle/beauty-health/the-dark-side-of-social-media-how-

unrealistic-beauty-standards-are-causing-identity/94kf64j.amp.

Website, Javier, and Javier. “The Effects of Social Media on Body Image and Mental

Health.” Life Sciences Journal, 11 Oct. 2021,

http://lifesciencesjournal.org/2020/02/the-effects-of-social-media-on-body-image-

and-mental-health/.