MA. ALCYRA AIRA M.

SANTOS

ACT 184

DIFFERENT BEAUTY STANDARDS SHOULD BE ABOLISHED

In today’s generation, different types of people became one in fighting against

inequalities in varied context; may it be in terms of gender, race, culture and such. One of the
most popular, yet still unsolved is the inequality when it comes to one’s appearance. Our society
made up different beauty standards that forces and pressures an individual to achieve so. Namely
are golden ratio, western ideals, skin color stereotyping and many more. Here are the reasons
why we need to kill the idea of beauty standards in our society before it gets out of hand.

Number one among the lengthy list of reason is because it is capable of ruining or
harming one’s health. This may sound too health-freak but it’s true. In fact, according to a study
done in US, 33% of college age students, doesn’t matter if they are man or woman, found out to
be using skin whitening product. The products that they use proclaim that their skin will become
healthy, soft and beautiful but it’s not true because ironically these products are related to skin
cancer and other diseases. There is another case in Japan, where in for a very long period of time
they became distinct of their own standard of beauty but not until the 1980s. The tremendous
increase in percentage of women being categorized as underweight became a problem.
According to a woman interviewed in Tokyo streets, “Japanese women are under incredible
pressure to have an ideal body” which is so saddening to hear for us.

The second one is for each individual to have a strong sense of self. It’s saddening for all
of us that mental health disease is being rampant nowadays. The common reason for this is
because they are crapped up by the idea of being alone. They feel like everyone doesn’t want to
be involved with them. Especially with girls, where in they feel so insecure about themselves,
they usually don’t see the real beauty in them and it happens to one of my closest friend which is
myself. I became a victim of the toxic idea. I saw my friend one time and shes really beautiful
and I came to her with a question of “How did you have such glass skin?” and “How come
you’ve become so pretty?” Its all good until my question turn back to me, “Why am I not as
pretty as her?” and “How come that I have all this marks and pimples and she doesn’t?”. I’m
telling you, you will not want to be in that position and having these existing beauty standards
aren’t big much of a help for a people like who suffers like that.

Lastly, is simply for us to have a better world to live in. Imagine a society where
everyone is accepted and fulfils their need of belongingness. Most of the problems in this world
came from the root of having an exclusive society. The lack of idea of diversity is a problem that
most of us takes easily but affects us hardly. Our society failed to realize that beauty comes from
different shape, color and sizes. Also, I believe that beauty is something that will just fade in
time so why bother of being so obsess of something that is temporary? Frankly, why do we need
to set such standards when every one of us can be beautiful in our own unique ways? Having a
society that serves as a support system and not a nerve-breaker will have nothing but only
positive feedbacks.

I know its not easy to love yourself and accept everything even your flaws but I think it’s
about time for everyone to accept that we all have our own flaws and those flaws will mean
nothing if we would use it as our strength.

All these beauty standards wouldn’t be present if all of us won’t tolerate it. We are all
consumed by these standards for a very long time now, we have seen the aftermath of it and also
the damage it can cause to people. So what I’m telling you guys now is the perfect time to stop
it.