Our society is consumed by the idea of "perfection." Unfortunately, we have become so engulfed in appearance that we lose track of what is really important. The media and entertainment industry create false images of what people should look like. The stereotypes of being skinny, ripped, tan, and the list goes on. This makes people, especially young kids, get the impression that they are not perfect. We think these stereotypes affect women mostly, but men feel the wraths of stereotypes as well.
Women are often stereotyped in negative ways. Magazine covers and the entertainment industry portray women as size 0, blonde, and tan. However, the fact of the matter is the average size of an American woman is a size 14. These misrepresentations affect how woman feel about their appearance. Not every woman has blonde hair or perfect legs. I have noticed young girls begin to wear makeup and tan earlier in age now. This is a result of what they are witnessing and are pressured to conform to. We need to start teaching women and young girls that they are beautiful in their own way.
When conversations of body image arise, it bothers me that we do not account for men and boys. Yes, they too experience body image judgment. I remember sitting with a group of girls and overhearing them say how short a guy was and they could not date him. However, the phrase tall, dark, and handsome is not so true. In fact, the average height of an American man is 5'10. Yet, we expect men to be 6'5 and ripped in order to be date-worthy. This too affects men as it does women. The pressure of being the tallest, strongest, and most athletic takes a toll on men. We signify looks with masculinity rather than character, which is a major issue we have.
As Marilyn Monroe stated, "Imperfection is beauty". This is true, having little quirks is what makes you unique. We as a nation need to leave the idea of the perfect image in the past. The media and entertainment industries are creating a false reality. These image issues cause depression, relationship issues, bullying, and the list goes on. We all need to embrace the fact we are all beautiful in our own way. We need to spread more kindness and less hate about image.
