With our world evolving in numerous ways through social media and the internet, millions of people see what they think are the perfect men and women. Models, actresses, singers, and other celebrities all influence modern beauty standards. Whether it be through plastic surgery, photoshop, or unhealthy habits, people will always find a way to meet these standards.

In America, the standards for a “beautiful person” is someone with straight, pearl-like teeth, tamed eyebrows, a thinner body type, and well-kept hair. 

These standards are absolutely absurd and if you are saying that, then I agree with you. While the standards overall seem crazy, the ways to get to these standards are just as toxic and unreasonable. 

The people you see on the internet may not always look like what they are seen as; plastic surgery and photoshop exist and can deceive people. Think of what you could do to change your image through plastic surgery. Rhinoplasties, breast augmentations, cheek fillers, lip fillers, and other kinds of fillers can change the appearance of someone great. 

Concerning the topic of photoshop, you have Facetune, BeautyPlus, Beauty Booth, and so many more photoshopping apps available. Popular publications such as Adweek, Flare Magazine, Rolling Stone, and many others have been slammed by models and cover people for using photoshop to change their looks. Some notable slammers include Jennifer Lawrence for Flare Magazine and Kerry Washington for Adweek.

Editing and alterations may be very prominent when it comes to meeting the standards, but there’s also developing unhealthy habits. The most common one is starving for long periods, which is medically termed as anorexia. This is most common among teenagers since they are the ones known for using social media the most and can be very self-conscious. Starving yourself has many negative long-term effects. Not only could you develop an eating disorder, but you could also experience fatigue, dehydration, fainting spells, low blood pressure, and so many horrid side effects. 

What all of this shows is that the only way to achieve these standards is through excessive exercise combined with nutritious and somewhat strict diets or through alterations like photoshop and plastic surgery. These beauty standards are not naturally attainable.