Millennials today are growing up surrounded by magazine images, YouTube videos, social media tutorials, how-to movies and television shows displaying the beautiful bodies and faces of influencers. The question being asked is: How can we be content with what we look like if this is what we see around us every day? In today’s society, stepping into any place and it’s hard not seeing this blasted on billboards, advertisements, public transport or painted on walls as graffiti.
Teenagers worry about their appearance and flaws and with easy access to make-up, it has become easier to make yourself look different. Last year, there was a campaign that saw women hitting back at those who shame them for wearing make-up by posting beautiful selfies with just half of their face covered in cosmetics.
This movement was inspired by a video called ‘The Power of Make-Up!’, which was created by 21-year-old YouTube make-up guru Nikkie de Jager. Her channel called Nikkie Tutorials has over six million followers today. The campaign was all about going from your natural beauty to a caked on, over exaggerated version of yourself. This is a trend that escalated in the minds of teenagers all over the world and began a trend of “online bullying” to the extreme.
As a teenager with an abundance of tutorials available on social media like Huda Beauty and Jeffery Star, the influence is undeniable. This has not influenced me as much as it has influenced my friends. I know some girls that would get up a few hours earlier just to do their eyebrows, as well as enhancing their lips and cheeks.
In a world like this where teenagers idolise social media influencers, movie stars and unrealistic magazine photos, we have changed our perceptions of beauty to such an extent that when a woman wears no make-up, people ask if the person is ill.
These unreal expectations seep into children’s minds and the cycle of having the ‘right body size’ or even a common comment from mothers, “don’t eat that, it will make you fat”, will stay with them forever.
In today’s world of fast technology that enables powerful imagery and social media immediacy, the million dollar question is: How on Earth do we change what is happening to the young generation of today?
- The reader is a student based in Dubai.
