How Society Influences Women to Focus on Body and Beauty

Dear women, how do you feel when you see yourselves in the mirror? Many of you do think that you are not enough. Maybe you look at your hair, your skin, or even a part of your body that makes you pause and feel that they are not perfect. Something is missing.

If you feel this, you are not alone. Women everywhere struggle daily and feel the pressure to meet unrealistic beauty standards.

But were we born with this obsession for body and beauty?

No. Society is the culprit. Society teaches us about it from a very young age. Let’s unpack why that hthinkappens.

Cultural and Family Expectations of Body and Beauty

Culture and family expectations play a huge role in influencing women to focus on their bodies and beauty.

Different cultures have different beauty standards, but most of them share one common theme: women are expected to look a certain way.

For example, in India, there is a huge demand for fair-skinned women when someone seeks a bride. Fair skin in India is associated with higher social status and desirability. If a girl goes outside in the Sun, they are asked to cover up so that their complexion will not get dark.

So girls and women of India are highly conscious of their complexion. And complexion is just one thing, Indian women also feel pressure to be slim, have a curvaceous body, and have long flowing hair. Other important features are large eyes and a small nose.

It is the same story worldwide, whether you study Western culture, European culture, or Asian Culture. Women in every culture are judged for their body types, skin colors, and facial features.

One study that was conducted in the UK showed that 47% of women feel ashamed of their bodies, and this often starts from cultural expectations.

Every day, women see role models, celebrities, or even family members focusing on beauty. The social experience is so strong that women are compelled to feel that they must do the same to be accepted.

How Social Media Amplifies Society’s Influence

The way social media has made today’s young girls and women conscious about their bodies and beauty, no other medium has done that.

Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok (in whichever countries it is not banned) are full of influencers and celebrities showcasing fake versions of their lives and appearances.

These influencers and celebrities use every tool and trick to present themselves better, like Photoshop, filters, lighting, and even apps to alter their facial features and body shapes. By showing you edited posts, they are creating an illusion of perfection.

As a result, women—young and old—compare themselves to these influencers and their heavily edited images. They think that if they just changed a few things, they too could achieve that “perfect” look.

This societal influence can be especially damaging for young girls.

Various studies have shown that teenage girls who spend more time on social media often report lower self-esteem. They have a greater dissatisfaction with their bodies.

In a 2023 study published in the journal “Body Image”, it was found that young women who were on social media were dissatisfied with their bodies. It is because they were exposed to social media content featuring thin and idealized bodies.

This highlights how social media is impacting women negatively and making them conscious of their body image.

It is really heartbreaking to see the plight of so many young women. Every day they feel they are not enough, because they don’t match an ideal that doesn’t even exist in real life.

The Game of Objectification in Entertainment and Media

What do you see when it comes to the presentation of women in movies, TV shows, and music videos?

They are highly sexualized.

More focus on their physical appearance, and less focus on their personality, skills, or intelligence.

In many movies or TV shows, women characters are shown only as a love interest to male characters. The values of women’s characters lie in how attractive they are. Even when women play strong or intelligent roles, their looks are often emphasized or used as a plot device.

So when young girls and women see how their favorite women characters and music artists are presenting themselves and behaving, they also want to follow in their footsteps.

From such objectification, young girls and women learn that their primary value in society is linked to their appearance. They start believing that beauty and body are central to their identity.

The Role of Advertising and Marketing in Perception of Beauty

What women think of beauty is not their personal choice. Advertisements tell women how they should perceive beauty.

What do women see in commercials, billboards, or any other advertisements? Flawless and retouched models marketing beauty products and different brands.

Models with sharp facial features and slim bodies. Women forget that they are seeing heavily edited versions of these models. Models don’t look like these in reality and their looks are impractical to achieve.

According to a 2021 meta-analysis published in “Media Psychology”, it was found that there is a relationship between media exposure and beauty dissatisfaction in women.

The more women are exposed to idealized images of beauty in media and advertising, the more women become dissatisfied with their appearance. They suffer from negative self-perceptions.

Further brands are very cunning. They subtly suggest that to be confident, successful, or happy, women need to look a certain way or buy certain products. This leads to women’s obsession with achieving external beauty through cosmetics, diets, and fitness trends.

How Fitness Industry is Defining Body Standards

There is no doubt that physical fitness is beneficial for health. But, the fitness industry has increasingly shifted focus toward aesthetics. They promote lean and toned bodies as the ultimate standards of health and beauty.

If you think the fitness industry is working for your benefit. NO. All they are doing and marketing is for their own benefits and profits.

The global market size of the fitness industry in 2022 was USD 104.5 billion. By 2030, it is projected to reach USD 202.78 billion.

Source: Fortune Business Insights

The fitness industry has gone berserk to sell the idea to women that fitness is not about being healthy but about achieving a particular body type. Every day, the fitness industry is coming up with new tools, tricks, or marketing gimmicks to influence women.

There are beach body” challenges, fitspiration trends, and gym culture, luring women to focus on shaping their bodies as per narrow standards of attractiveness. There is no focus on promoting holistic health.

So women are prioritizing their appearance more than their overall well-being. This leads many women to engage in extreme dieting or excessive exercise.

Yes, Workplaces Have Appearance Expectations

Many professional environments judge women based on their appearance.

Studies show that women who dress or look a certain way are more likely to be perceived as competent or likable.

For example, a report in 2020 known as “The Corporate Leadership Council Report” suggests that 57% of women felt they were judged more on their appearance than their competence at work.

Many workplaces take women seriously or respect them only if they wear makeup, dress fashionably, or conform to certain beauty standards.

Such professional environments and workplaces only perpetuate the belief that a woman’s appearance is crucial to success.

Influence of Peer Pressure and Social Comparison

From early childhood, girls are exposed to peer pressure regarding looks.

Friends and classmates talk about new looks, beauty trends, and new beauty products, almost daily. They judge and comment on each other’s appearance. If someone is thin, they praise it. If someone is obese, they make fun of her. They gossip about who is meeting certain beauty standards and who is not.

In any group, women may feel pressure to conform to the beauty and body ideals of their social circle. This leads to women feeling body dissatisfaction and low self-esteem.

For example, women try to keep up with beauty trends their friends follow. It could be a skincare routine, specific diet, weight loss program, or fashion craze. If they don’t want to comply, they fear judgement or exclusion from the group.

Impact of Gender Norms and Roles

In the traditional patriarchal system, gender roles define that a woman’s appearance is the center of her identity.

From an early age, society praises girls for being “pretty” or “cute”, but boys are often complimented on their abilities and strength.

Due to such gendered socialization, women start thinking that their primary asset is looks. They focus more on their beauty and body to look more attractive, well-groomed, and feminine.

In romantic relationships, societal and gender norms may push women to feel that their attractiveness is a key factor in maintaining or securing relationships. It drives them to focus heavily on their appearance.

The Role of Beauty Pageants and Competitions

Beauty pageants and competitions are everywhere, from schools and colleges to different countries.

Women competing in such competitions are judged primarily on their appearance. Judges look for their facial features and body symmetry. Otherwise, what is the importance of including categories like swimsuit round or evening gown?

These competitions claim they promote talent and intelligence, but their main focus remains on the body and beauty.

Women of all ages watch these beauty pageants and learn that the more beautiful a woman is, the more rewards and accolades she gets from society.

A New Way Forward

Dear women, you are enough. Just as you are. If you want to wear makeup, wear it. If you want to go without makeup, go without. Want to wear fashionable clothes or simple ones, it is your choice.

Do the things only when you want. But if you are doing something because you want to fit into society’s mold of beauty, don’t do it. Your worth is not measured by societal and gender norms.

Society will keep luring you, influencing you. What you can do best is to not give in.

Let’s begin celebrating who we are beyond the mirror. Mirror is not your reality. Compliment your friends on their compassion, not just their looks. Start conversations that uplift and encourage one another to focus on what really matters in life. Focus on your inner qualities, your passions, and your dreams.

The next time you feel that pressure to look a certain way, pause and ask yourself: Who is this for? If it’s not for you, let it go.

The more we challenge these societal norms, the more we can create a world where women are valued for who they are, not how they look.

In the end, beauty is temporary. But your heart, your mind, and your character can last a lifetime. Let’s focus on nurturing that.

Photo Credit: Photo by Vika Glitter on Pexels