By Angela Jia
Body image has always been a real problem. In the 1820’s, women in the United States wore whalebone corsets to squeeze their waists in an effort to look “prettier.” Society causes the problem of body image since it promotes a specific look that represents “beauty” while degrading other body types.
It is an especially large problem for teenagers and young adults because of the increased use of social media. Pictures on Instagram and celebrities on magazines are only a few of the examples of how the media manipulates the image of beauty and makes it seem as if only one type of person can be beautiful. This puts pressure on normal people who want to look like the models depicted in social media or online.
Often times, it causes self-esteem issues and eating disorders, which can be detrimental to your health. Normal children and teenagers feel that if they do not look like what is portrayed as beautiful online, then they are ugly. Sometimes, other young adults who are affected by how society brands “beautiful” can bully others for looking ugly since they do not look like the models online. The victims would criticize their own appearances even more, creating a vicious cycle.
It is incredibly concerning that this problem is unsolved. Magazines are trying to seem more open by recruited “plus-sized” models. They use the word “plus-sized” because the stigma of the word “fat” makes it seem negative. There is nothing wrong with being fat; however, society makes it seem that way.
