Beauty Standards In The Digital Universe: How Does It Affect Your Mental Health? (2023)

Article written by Brianna Gray

For years, women have looked to the media for how they should present themselves. American society is self-conscious. In the age of social media, it is easier than ever to get pressured into wanting to fit in a certain standard of beauty.

Iconic celebrities from every generation have followed popular beauty trends. Celebrities like Kim Kardashian represent a beauty standard that is impossible for most women to achieve naturally. Even though celebrities’ photos posted online are oftentimes edited and photoshopped, there are not a lot of ways for the average person to tell.

Fans and casual viewers alike are even rearranging their faces in an attempt to get closer to a certain type of beauty. The article called the man who spent 110,000 on plastic surgery to look like Kim Kardashian, by Catriona Harvey Jenner goes into detail about a boy named Jordan James Parke who has received a plethora of aesthetic procedures such as botox injections, nose jobs, and lip fillers just so he can emulate the look of Kim Kardashian.

” ‘I’ve had my chin done and I’m getting laser tattoo removal on my eyebrows as well, just to get more Kim Kardashian brows,’ said Jordan. ‘I’m always changing, I think it’s boring to stay the same.

But as much as he takes inspiration from Kim’s appearance, he tells us ‘I don’t want to look exactly like her. I just love her features.’ “

Research has shown us that certain features are deemed more beautiful than others, and this can be disastrous to a person’s mental health and perception of themselves.

White European beauty standards have influenced the way we view people: as a result, Black women in particular, have been scrutinized and often labeled as “ugly”. The Kardashian family have been attributed as just a few of the many celebrities who have made stereotypically “Black” features like curvy bodies and darker skin more desirable, and as a result, those same features are now celebrated.

But here’s the catch: while these “ethnic” features are celebrated, they are still not seen as desirable on women of color. In this case, Black women are still mocked and demonized for possessing features and styles that their white counterparts are celebrated for emulating.

The article called Beauty and Body Image concerns among African American College women by Germine H. Awad discusses the complex relationship between eurocentric beauty standards and their effects on Black women’s mental health:

“Black women’s bodies and beauty have largely been devalued and rejected by mainstream culture, which overvalues the European aesthetic and undervalues the esthetic of other racial/ethnic groups except exoticizing them (Banks, 2000). The U.S. puts a premium on “fair” white skin, blue eyes, and straight, long, blond hair and considers these features the epitome of beauty. Features more akin to the African aesthetic are deemed ugly, undesirable, and less feminine.”

Women of color have traditionally been absent when it comes to media representation. The article called, Survey finds that 78% of models in fashion adverts are white by Priya Elan, reported that “78.2% of all the models featured in spring 2016’s fashion adverts were white. In a breakdown of the statistics, 8.3% of models featured in ads were black, 4% were Asian and 3.8% were Hispanic.”

While marketing and advertisements have historically been very exclusive about defining beauty, social media has helped bring in diversity especially when it comes to different body types and skin tones. Nowadays, people are more accepting of all shapes because brands see the value in catering to all types of people.

But although more representation and inclusion is shown on social media, it does not mean there are no toxic images out there. When it comes to the popular Instagram models, some of them uphold an image that can be harmful to a person’s mental wellbeing.

It’s important to acknowledge the power of social media and the ways it can influence individuals to act bizarrely. In the study called Effects of quitting social media by Marzia Andleeb, 80% of the group says that social media influences them in any way while 20% said otherwise.

In the article Social media in 2021 by Brooke Auxier and Monica Anderson shows that people surveyed who were aged 18 to 29 were deemed to be most likely to use social media out of all groups, ranking at 84%.

People are willing to spend thousands of dollars on plastic surgeries. In the 2021 AAFPRS survey, 79 percent of facial plastic surgeons saw an increase in procedures such as botox injections, nose jobs, and lip fillers just to improve a client’s appearance on-screen.

“The use of video for business, social media, and self-promotion are now so ingrained in society that it provides an easy and ever-present lens for self-scrutiny,” said Dr. Maas. “We’ve slowly moved from static image filters to ‘ZOOM dysmorphia’ being the major patient motivator as the pressures of a virtual lifestyle continue to impact the way we view ourselves and the way we present to peers.”

Social media has contributed to creating a place where changing yourself is easy to do. An article called Body Image: What it is & How it Affects Mental Health by Kerry Health describes the danger of being obsessed with a person’s appearance.

“When a person does not have an accurate view of themselves, they are said to have a distorted body image,” said Heath. “There are varying degrees of distortion based upon the discrepancy between reality and perception. The most severe of these cases is a condition called body dysmorphic disorder (BDD).”

Body Dysmorphic Disorder is when an individual sees perceived flaws in their physical appearance that seem insignificant to others. It is very important to watch closely when anybody starts to develop these symptoms.

“When a person’s realistic body and their ideal body images do not match, this can often lead to mental health issues such as eating disorders, mood disorders, and anxiety disorders,” said Heath. “Several serious eating disorders are centered around body image concerns. Those struggling with anorexia and bulimia engage in dangerous behaviors such as self-starvation, self-induced vomiting, over-exercising, and laxative abuse as a way to be in control. Oftentimes, their image and weight are the only things they have control over since they are continuously repressed from underlying depression or anxiety.”

It’s not uncommon for people to seek online approval, but it becomes dangerous when people will do anything for it. Some people can become obsessed with workout culture because they believe it is going to help them completely change the way they look and feel. An article called I was addicted to exercise by Nicola Kelly talks about a woman named Valerie Stephan who becomes obsessed with working out.

“Ten years ago, Valerie began jogging to improve her fitness. She signed up for a 5km (three-mile) run, followed by 10km races, then a marathon. But soon she was getting up early each morning to train – and prioritizing sport above all else.

‘I started to realize that exercise controlled me, rather than me controlling exercise. That control quickly became an obsession,’ she says. “It’s had a big impact on my work, my family – every aspect of my life. Over time, exercise became unhealthy.’ “

This behavior not only affects adults but also kids in their early adolescent years. The article called The Effects of Social Media on Body image and Mental Health by Javier shows that social media’s beauty standards are very damaging to young girls. The study found that over 40% of 9 and 10-year-old girls were trying to lose weight. Media has played a huge part in showcasing content that influences girls to be this way. You see what body types get favored and the ones that do not. This could also explain the increased number of hospital admissions for eating disorders as a result of using social media.

“NHS Digital released data in 2018 that showed the number of hospital admissions due to eating disorders had doubled in six years, with 16,000 people admitted for some type of eating disorder in the United Kingdom over that period,” Javier said. “Additionally, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, hospital stays due to eating disorders in the United States increased 18% from 2000-2006, with 28,155 patients being treated. This increase coincides with the initial emergence of social media in the early 2000s.”

Girls are not the only ones that have to deal with the pressures of beauty standards in the media. Boys are also subjected to beauty ideals and society’s notion of what makes a “man”. Men have historically been depicted as “protectors”. The article called 5 Reasons why muscles matter, to women and men by Rob Henderson talks about the study they did with a group of individuals to define relationships based on looks.

“Muscular men, regardless of their self-esteem, had more sexual partners. Finally, researchers asked a different group of men, “How many times have you had sex with a woman who had a boyfriend or husband at the time you had sex with her?” Muscular men reported more affairs with women who were in committed relationships.”

There are men out there that naturally do not have a muscular figure. This starts to build up their insecurity and leads them to have an eating disorder because they do not know how to handle the situation. The article called I worry for my teenage boys by Emma Beddington claimed that men getting treatment for eating disorders had gone up to 70% between 2010 to 2016.

Using social media in excess can be more harmful than the beauty standards in the media. Setting time spent away from social media or finding outlets that do speak on body positivity, self-love and care can be the start to being on a good path to maintaining a healthy relationship with your body and body image.

People nowadays can get invested in this lifestyle to the point that social media has major control over their lives. The article Effects of quitting social media by Mariza Andleep Raunak describes an experiment where a group of students took a break from social media. After the students are done with their hiatus, they find out that 60% said that they realized social media had huge control over their lives. Even though giving up social media seems to be hard for most, it can be beneficial if you look at it in a different light.

Taking some time off can help with one’s mental state. Whenever individuals observe images online, they tend to feel more depressed about themselves. But having the courage to be offline can lead the person to understand their emotions. An article called Thinking about Taking a Social Media Break? Here are 10 things that happen when you quit social media by Kimberly Zapata, celebrity doctor, Dr. Oz said, “Social media use has been linked with increased levels of anxiety and depression, especially in the teenage population. A 2019 study of more than 6,500 12- to 15-year-olds in the U.S. found that those who spent more than three hours a day using social media might be at heightened risk for mental health problems.”

In that same article, licensed psychologist Erika Martines explains that “by leaving social media, one is less likely to compare oneself to others or want the next latest trendy product. One is less likely to get FOMO anxiety, too, and leaving social media will allow you to cultivate better relationships with the people around you. It can also let you enjoy the things you have and instead of focusing on what you don’t boost your confidence and your overall sense of wellbeing,'”

People from past generations have looked to forms of media for guidance on how to present themselves. It has built a foundation for women and men to judge themselves based on their insecurities. Even though social media has some proven benefits, it’s undeniable that exposure to social media also encourages others to feed into Eurocentric beauty standards.

It is hard for the average person to run away from toxic images in general, but taking a step back can allow an individual to appreciate themselves more, and embrace the beauty of others.