Beauty standards are always changing, and evolving just like you and me. Some believe they need to change with the standards to fit in, but if you change yourself to fit into every single standard, you will constantly be changing yourself. Every day there is something new that people are doing and it isn't your job to try and become someone else. In her article, entitled "Beauty Standards" in the University of Washington Manifold, Kate Povey says, "Beauty standards have always been extremely prevalent throughout human history, and today they drastically affect everyday interaction, the media, and the commercial world." We see different forms of beauty in many aspects of our life. We want to fit in and be a normal part of society but it's those who stick out who get remembered. It is those who learn how to express themselves and be themselves who get remembered and who truly learn how to live a greater life outside of the world's normal look. Beauty stems from growing evolution. We change our look on beauty multiple times every year and we change our expectations for beauty. Perception and deception play a huge role in our communities. We all see ourselves and one another differently. We shouldn't be judged for our differences or judge others for theirs. Being different means being unique and it is the unique people who we remember.
Over time beauty companies have created more products that feed off of our insecurities and make us feel as if we need those products to feel beautiful and to be beautiful. We just need to learn how to find our own style. What we see online has a huge impact on us and our minds. Povey continues by saying, "It is important for young girls to seek out these body-positive celebrities so that they understand that beauty is being yourself and accepting yourself." In life, you need to find the right people and hold onto them, that includes the people you look up to like celebrities. Celebrities have a huge influence on many people and that influence can be positive but it can also be negative so it is important to know the people you put your trust in and not let them feed you lies that may hurt you or make you feel less about yourself. Growing up is realizing you don't need other's ideals and you don't need others to support you. You are strong enough on your own, and you will survive when you learn you are enough and you deserve to be enough. No matter who you are or what you look like you are beautiful and it is important to surround yourself with people that remind you that you are beautiful, not people who make you feel as if you are not. In Povey's article, she says "Attraction is an age-old concept," attraction is something we use as a "mechanism by which humans could choose partners to mate with." Your level of attractiveness should not be used for getting dates. You should be able to feel that attractiveness despite what other people say and think. Life is changing and we are changing. So your beauty no longer should be the most important thing about you. It no longer needs to matter more than other qualities about you. It should not be such a big deal in society anymore. Beauty is a very complex concept that we don't all view in the same way. Life has so much to offer every single one of us and we need to recognize that life is too short to wish we were someone else, instead of living as ourselves every day. Living every day to its fullest potential isn't possible but learning to live for ourselves and as yourself is possible and something I hope we get to see in the future. Sooner than later. Some say happiness is a state of mind, and that is very true. Our brains never shut off, even when we go to sleep. This means we need to fill our minds with reality not photoshopped happiness but real genuine happiness. We are teenagers we are growing and changing every day and that is normal and something that should be normalized in society. We need to learn how to grow together not apart. We need to learn how to get rid of the jealousy towards others that we have developed, and instead be proud of one another and be proud of other's success. If you learn to see yourself as enough others will see you in the same light as you see yourself.
Povey, Kate. “Beauty Standards.” University of Washington Manifold, uw.manifoldapp.org/read/beauty-standards/section/cff23c1e-aced-4e24-b14e-25a2728170d3. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023.
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