You Don’t Have to Keep up with Society’s Beauty Standards: Why It’s Okay To Be Human First
Makeup hauls, makeup tutorials, and beauty reviews. They currently dominate large social platforms including Youtube and Instagram, but can it also cause more harm in self-worth for women and girls?
Since ages, the value of a woman has always been constructed by the bar of how beautiful or attractive they are before the bar of their intellect or character has even been placed. This type of feminine beauty criteria typically idolizes a woman’s body, hair style, skin color, weight, sexuality, gender expression, and style. Which continues to distort society’s views on what it means to be acceptable in womanhood.
This skewed portrayal of what is acceptable in womanhood is often seen widely online including social media platforms with higher reach, such as Instagram and Youtube. On Instagram, women and girls are constantly bombarded with posts of idealized women’s bodies or looks. On YouTube, there are as many as 700 million views every month on beauty-related content. Big or small, the beauty industry and capitalism always find their way to market their products, by preying on our insecurities and convincing us to love our bodies, then making us feel bad if we don’t. In fact, studies from the University of New Hampshire found that the overall beauty industry has a negative effect on a woman’s self-esteem, body image, and perception of beauty.
The pressure to keep up with the unattainable beauty standards in Los Angeles is even far more challenging for women and girls’ than any other parts of the United States. According to a survey from The Oracle,
33 out of 39 women and girls felt that living in Los Angeles have made them less confident about their body, and over 29 out of 39 women and girls feel the pressure to look a certain way because they live in the Los Angeles environment.
Appearance does not, and should not, equal to one’s worth. On International Day of Happiness, we at UN Women USA Los Angeles would like you to know that aiming to achieve society’s idea of beauty is not only an impossible quest, but is also counterproductive to one’s health and wellbeing. So is conforming to a specific idea of femininity. We don’t have to look like a model to be worth something. What is really important here is that we feel true and content with our authentic self, including wearing any style of clothes, hair, or beauty that makes us feel comfortable and expresses our self-identity. When we feel content with our authentic self, we can do so many more things in life that we may not have the confidence to do so now, which could ultimately bring us more happiness in our lives.
So what constitutes your idea of happiness? In what ways do you provide yourself self-care? Whether it be exercising, participating in outdoor activities, or spending the day relaxing at home with comfy clothes, they’re all unique attributes to what brings you contentment to your wellbeing and true authentic self. This year, we are holding a 3-part event for our annual assembly, Cities So Equitable. Which will focus on forwarding the ideas of intersectional and gender-responsive cities under three areas: Cities So Happy, Cities So Shared, and Cities So Forward. Give us your thoughts on what equality and happiness in the city looks like to you.
Written by Christine Polanco, Communications Volunteer, UN Women USA LA
