We all have someone we look up to as a child, for me it was the apparently most popular girl in our school. I was in elementary and she was a senior in high school. My friends and I practically worshipped her; she was perfect according to us. She was an all-state athlete in every sport, dated the quarterback, always dressed to kill, and was seemingly blessed with being flawless. Of course, back when you’re eight, you don’t really know about the secret of cosmetic surgery, and how it can make people’s imperfections become perfections. Fast-forward to middle school and the talk of the town was how the girl who you idolized for being so naturally perfect just got her second cosmetic plastic surgery done. Then you learn that her first surgery was done when she was only a junior. Her perfection became blurred when my friends and I learned this. Although her cosmetic surgery made her seem much more perfect, it really showed that she had a fairly low self-esteem.
Everyone is told that they are beautiful just the way they are. In some instances, there is just one flaw that we can’t get over. The one thing about our appearance that we obsess over, constantly imagining how we would look if that one piece of us were different. Having a nose that’s just a bit too large, having an odd shaped jaw line, any trait you can think of, someone out there wants to change that part of them. Just look to either side of you as you walk down a busy street, you will see countless people, both men and women, ages varied. But how many of them are 100% natural and have not altered their God-given bodies? How many of these strangers have undergone cosmetic surgery, and how many are under the age of 18? More than you would think to believe. According to the rec...
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...-being. Teens are influenced daily by the excessive amount of negative U.S. media and celebrity inspiration broadcasted. Teens worship the celebrities who say it’s “alright” to be remodeled, they lead by example and today’s youth is picking up on that. Cosmetic surgery is becoming ever more popular not only in America but in other countries as well. This increasingly widespread issue is demeaning us individually; the pressure to be perfect and flawless is tiring and a worldwide struggle, but the situation is not irrevocable. Using the resources, which are proven to reach the attention of teens, such as media influence, and making them positive can discontinue this drawback. Bringing back the saying “you are beautiful just the way you are” and making today’s adolescence believe it, is a completely obtainable goal, it will just take specific determination and effort.
Societal constructs of bodily perfection have a massive influence on both genders and on all ages. If you look at any magazine, you will see women constantly being compared to each other, whether it is in the “who wore it better” section or in the “do’s and don’ts” part of the magazine, comparing body images and overall appearances. All parts of the media that encompasses our daily lives are especially dangerous for young and impressionable teens because they see people being torn down for trying to express themselves, and are thus taught to not only don’t look like “don’ts”, but also look like the “do’s”. This is dangerous in that women in the magazine set very high standards that teens want to emulate, no matter the cost to themselves or their health. Celebrities have the benefit of media to make them appear perfect: Photoshop and makeup artists conceal the imperfections that are often too apparent to the naked eye. Viewing celebrities as exhibiting the ideal look or as idols will, in most cases, only damage the confidence of both young teens, and adults, and warp the reality of what true “beauty” really is. It makes teens never feel truly content with themselves because they will be aiming for an ideal that is physically impossible to attain and one that doesn’t exist in the real
In today society, beauty in a woman seems to be the measured of her size, or the structure of her nose and lips. Plastic surgery has become a popular procedure for people, mostly for women, to fit in social class, race, or beauty. Most women are insecure about their body or face, wondering if they are perfect enough for the society to call the beautiful; this is when cosmetic surgery comes in. To fix what “needed” to be fixed. To begin with, there is no point in cutting your face or your body to add or remove something most people call ugly. “The Pitfalls of Plastic Surgery” explored the desire of human to become beyond perfection by the undergoing plastic surgery. The author, Camille Pagalia, took a look how now days how Americans are so obsessed
...ters of the covers of women’s magazines include at least one message about how to change a woman’s body image by cosmetic surgery. These articles about appearance are damaging because it leads to seriously unhealthy lifestyles that women and teenagers think they need to look beautiful. In addition to that, Teen Magazine published in 2003 an article saying that children from age 6-12 have been on a diet and are now considering plastic surgery. Cosmetic surgery sends the message that the prejudices some people have about appearance are valid, which is very wrong.
The media has had an increasingly destructive effect on young people who are becoming worryingly obsessed with their body image. The media is saturated in sexual imagery in which young people have to face every day. The sheer volume of sexual imagery in the media today has resulted in the vast majority of young people to become hooked on looking as near to perfection everyday by using the latest products and buying the latest fashions. This used to be enough but lately the next step to achieving perfection is cosmetic surgery. Everyone wants to look attractive, especially teenagers who are not only put under massive strain to succeed but to look beautiful and climb the ranks of the social ladder, and it seems that the only way to achieve the much desired beauty is to turn to drastic measures.
First of all, teenagers expect that plastic surgery will improve their self-confidence, but does it? Teenagers think that their new appearance will be great, but they may get different looks from their friends. For example, when they’re talking, their friends may look at their chest instead of looking at their faces and their friends may feel uncomfortable and awkward about their new breasts. One study found that teenager’s body-image may occur in the late teens because their bodies were still changing. The average girl gains weight between the ages of 18 and 21, and that is likely to change her desire or need for breast augmentation. This indicates that many young girls who are very dissatisfied with their appearance will feel more satisfied a few years later, whether or not they undergo surgery.
Every 62 minutes, someone dies from an eating disorder. Every minute, someone attempts suicide. These are the horrifying results of society's constant pressure on everyone to look and act perfectly. Without action, these statistics might only increase over generations. The world would be a much better place if no one felt poorly about themselves enough to change their looks. When people are applauded when they alter their appearance in an extreme way, it teaches everyone that it is normal to maul and change themselves. As a result, both mental and physical disorders occur. If plastic surgery, eating disorders, and other attempts to change appearance no longer become standard in the world today, the little girl looking at herself in the mirror would no longer see herself as ugly or fat, instead pretty as the way she is. The teen crying herself to bed each night thinking of her complexion instead smiles to herself thinking of all the accomplishments she's made. The young women no longer feels the need to starve herself or tear her face apart in order to feel beautiful. Instead, society encourages her to be herself, and be proud of the spectacular looks with which she was
Some people’s obsession with plastic surgery is obviously getting out of control. It starts with only getting one thing fixed or corrected but then quickly escalates and before you know it, a face that once was all-flesh turns into plastic. According to a study conducted by Nigel Mercer (2009), “The number of official cosmetic surgeries has more than tripled to 34,000 since 2003”. The two reasons why plastic surgery should be banned are because of its high health risks, and because of the additional pressure it puts on people to look picture-perfect.
It is also true that we can change and enhance our body features through elective cosmetic surgeries. Many people choose to undergo these surgeries because they are unhappy with their appearance. I feel that these procedures are unnecessary, and that you shouldn’t undergo surgery unless you need it for your health. I believe that people go through these procedures purely because they have low self-esteem. Society tells them that there is something wrong with their body, and they feel that they need to change it to fit in. I think that this is a way to see if someone is truly happy with themselves, as we all should. No one is perfect, so no one should try to be it. It’s just a waste of time and money on their part all so they can fit in, which I think is pathetic. It is always a risk to undergo surgery, and there is no reason to put yourself in unnecessary risk. I think that it is ridiculous to put yourself through something like that. If I had a ten year old dark-skinned African American daughter who wanted blue contact lens, have her skin chemically lightened, and straighten her hair, I definitely say no.
Have you ever felt insecure about the way your nose looks or how your face is shaped? Or even your body because you have seen celebrities such as Nicki Minaj with a "perfect body"? You’re a fool, In the real world, looks have made a huge impact on society. Celebrities have brain washed not only today's women, but also men to believe that in order for a person to look beautiful they must look like the images seen on television, movies, or models on the covers of magazines. People who are insecure about their appearances have different ways of improving the way they look, like wasting money on some dumb surgery that can cost around $4,500 – $20,000. Not only does it cost a lot of money but it can cause many health conditions.
This is the disadvantage girls experience in the world. Society is playing tug-of-war with girls across America. Since social media sites like Instagram and Snapchat have become popular, the American society has established the ideal girl: model size and height, fair skin, a small nose, thin lips, and bone straight hair. These features and others are accepted widely throughout America. The people in the limelight, who claim to be role models for young girls and teens, embrace and promote these ideals by engaging in provocative behavior clearly showing girls that their self-worth depends on others’ opinions. Stars encourage body shaming by physically altering their bodies through botox, plastic surgery, and surgical implants. One of Hollywood’s most prominent characters, Kim Kardashian, exemplifies and enforces this behavior by wearing revealing clothing and posing for inappropriate pictures. I suggest people remember, especially those whom have captivated the media’s attention, actions speak louder than words. So...what are we saying to young
Flipping through the pages of Vogue's latest edition, 23 year-old Susan seems quite upset. She struggles with the thought of lacking the perfect body and delicate features in order to be considered attractive. Surprisingly, Susan is not alone in this kind of an internal struggle. In contemporary society, every other woman aspires to have the lips of Angelina Jolie and the perfect jaw line of Keira Knightley. Society today looks down upon individuals that do not fit in, whether in terms of body shape or facial attractiveness. This forces them to consider the option of 'ordering beauty.' Since cosmetic surgery is no longer a social taboo in America given its widespread popularity, more people are promoting it which ultimately affects the rest of the world due to the unwavering influence of American culture. Cosmetic surgery should be deterred in the US because it promotes the idea of valuing appearance over ability, gives rise to unrealistic expectations, and brings with it high cost to society.
To many, the notion of a teenager undergoing plastic surgery is appalling and unbelievable. For others, such as eleven-year-old Julia, a nose job was able to help her lead a happier and more normal life. To eighteen-year-old Kristen a breast augmentation is a traditional rite of passage of the family. She claims that she “just wanted to look normal,” and that after surgery, she does. (Sweeny, 2009) In these types of cases, cosmetic surgery can be beneficial to the confidence of teenagers in what Ann Kearney-Cooke calls “an epidemic of low self-esteem among girls.” (Sweeney, 2009) Whether it is a physical deformity, such as protruding ears, or simply a lack of something that other peers have, such as large breasts, cosmetic surgery can help teenagers cope with self-worth in a world where beauty is ridiculously selective. However, aside from the confidence-boosting possibilities resulting from teen cosmetic surgery, there are many reasons why it should not be taken lightly for an adolescent. Although cosmetic surgery can potentially be beneficial, there are also many extreme risks for teenagers, including medical complications and in some rare cases death, and thus should be solely a last resort after meticulous analysis for serious cases. Furthermore, neither the adolescent brain nor body is even fully developed.
...e feedback they long for but instead end up being bullied and made fun of, surgery becomes an option. ASPS reports that aesthetic procedures for teens 13-19 years old boosted 2% from 2011 to 2012 resulting in a total of 236,356. Adolescents don’t just want to look “regular” though, but to be beyond that. Per a 2009 report, the goal of teens getting plastic surgery is not just to look normal but, “to look better than normal,”(Gilbert 14). Based on studies, it’s clear that teenagers will continue to look to the media to decide their self-perception.
In American culture today, society's view of beauty is controlled by Hollywood, where celebrities are constantly in the lime-light. The media watches Hollywood's every move, and is quick to ridicule “A-listers” whenever they dare to gain a few pounds or to let an uncontrollable pimple show. The media has created a grossly distorted mental image of what should be considered beautiful, and with almost every junior high and high school-age girl reading and viewing this message, the idea has been instilled in them as well. This view of beauty is causing many teenage girls to become obsessed with a highly problematic and unattainable goal of perfection.
There are over seven billion people on earth and every single one looks different. No matter how much people say that being different is unique, they are wrong. Society has set a beauty standard, with the help of the media and celebrities, that makes people question their looks. This standard is just a definition of what society considers being “beautiful.” This idea is one that mostly everyone knows about and can relate to. No one on this planet is exactly the same, but people still feel the need to meet this standard. Everyone has two sides to them; there is the one that says “you are perfect just the way you are”, while the other side puts you down and you tell yourself “I have to change, I have to fit in.” There is always going to be that side that cares and the one that doesn’t.