The Power Of Media: Beauty Is In The Eyes Of The Beholder. Or Is It? | The Odyssey Online
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Health and Wellness

The Power Of Media: Beauty Is In The Eyes Of The Beholder. Or Is It?

Conformity to societal standards of beauty is like an infectious virus that we cannot eradicate.

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The Power Of Media: Beauty Is In The Eyes Of The Beholder. Or Is It?
  • Who and what does society really want us to be? We are falling victim to conformity by not accepting our natural beauty in being unique from one another. Humans are now undergoing plastic surgery at unprecedented rates and partaking in other measures such as intentionally altering our photos with photo-shop, filters, and more. Therefore, we enter into a delusional world of what beauty can and cannot be. Our perceptions of reality get mixed up with our wrongful thinking of what defines beauty. We are heading into a future where humans will look so alike that humans will increasingly suffer from the boredom of perfection. As humans, we are interested in differences, not similarities. Do you learn more from someone who is different from you or similar to you? Imperfection is beauty. Perfection is impractical. How can we actually learn from one another if we all have the same, infallible personalities as a result of maintaining our artificial physical appearances? How exciting can we all be if we all looked the same and acted the same? We weren't born with static, unwavering mindsets, so why should we succumb to the cultural pressures and influential deception of media in terms of beauty? Someday we'll receive Oscars for being some of the most pristine actors and actresses of all time. Do we really want to go down in history for that?

Why should we praise those who are perceived as "more physically attractive" in society just because he or she was born with particular genetics? The answer is we shouldn't praise these people because it's what society chose to embrace in order to stimulate the flow of money around the area of "beauty." Greed is a powerful tool, so this is why we are stuck looking at billboards that have models with impeccable faces. Oh, should I mention that 99.9% of these faces are photo-shopped? This is why cities like Las Vegas, which is known for "entertainment" sets strict standards for performers to maintain a "perfect" physical physique.


On a more personal level, we are what we make ourselves to be. We were all born with a genetic code and it is up to us to decide what we do with that. If people see themselves as "unattractive" because of unrealistic beauty standards in society, well, let me tell you they are not UNATTRACTIVE. No one is "unattractive." It is how these people perceive themselves and what they have manifested in their brains that make them feel unattractive. Media is excellent at targeting people's insecurities. Insecurities breed flaws and confidence breeds beauty.

Therefore, beauty comes from the soul. The people who are stuck battling with societal beauty influencers are the ones who are giving up on being their true, authentic selves and allowing their minds and souls to be imprisoned by what society has deemed to be “beautiful" in regards to physical appearances. We are the ones who have control, not the media. Too often people have more control than we are comfortable knowing we have.

In conclusion, media influencers don't always deserve to have a voice, especially in regards to what "beauty" should look like, but they unfortunately have the ability to reach millions of people. The "norms" of beauty in society is what we make them to be. It feels as if beauty societal standards are forced down our throats, and if we don't abide by these perspectives then we are labelled as outcasts or "unattractive". Then, we decide the easier route is to like and be whatever society wants us to be. That is not the case. We all have a choice.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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