Why can’t we free ourselves from this drug? Millions of girls today feel encaged in a society that revels in perfection. Society wants so much from us. From the demand for flawless skin that teenagers naturally cannot have all the time to smooth tan legs that extends for miles. So why do so many of us bend our heads like slaves, and toil to satisfy society’s commands? For me, I’ve always craved for a reservoir of confidence that I could tap into when desperate situations cornered me. Beauty seemed like an endless mine of security because no matter what happened, people would say, “At least she’s pretty.” Living up to society’s standards made me feel like I held the reigns to my own life, but in reality, I lost myself pieces at a time.
Girls often say beauty is a power, a source of energy that provides us with happier lives. Yet to reach that state of beauty, sacrificed must be made all the time. Society dumps heaps of images at girls everyday, letting us know that looking perfect is natural and can completely be accomplished. All these models have tiny waists under 25 inches so why can’t I? All these pop stars have gorgeous curves so why can’t I as well? When you see a concept around for so long, it imprints on your head like an unresolvable curse. How else would world leaders convince others to follow them? Once a common idea floats around everywhere, people accept it without questioning and this acceptance often leads to admiration. I’ve felt like if girls in these images can look that breathtaking, I could as well, and to be just as successful as they are, I needed to prove I could look just as beautiful.
What did I do? I locked myself up in society’s dungeon. I had to spend hours on my hair to ensure it looked the best at school. I couldn’t eat my favorite foods because my waistline would grow. I had to run laps and laps so my legs looked just as pretty as my classmates. Not only has society’s standards imprisoned me; it has turned me against other its other prisoners.
I know girls like me don’t want to hear about how those images online aren’t real or how models don’t actually look like that. Guess what? Reality cannot be accepted if all we see are delusions promoted everywhere in daily life. I want girls who went through the same levels of hell like me to know that our society’s vision of beauty isn’t power. Beauty is no insurance at all. We will never gain actual respect from anyone by looking like a cover girl. Yes, it’s true that others may pay more attention to someone beautiful, but if we all direct the energy we put into becoming flawless physically into another part of us, we can have actual respect. The time I spent counting calories to cut my food intake could be used to investigate how I could help others receive enough food. The time I spent doing my own hair could be used to help individuals who have lost all of their hair. The time I spent beating myself down about not looking like a model could be directed towards following the footsteps of a world leader.
Why do we girls limit ourselves like this? Beauty is a drug that rewards its victims with a “high” feeling that rarely another sensation can match. The exhilaration of compliments, attention and confidence gives girls control and power. I understand the addiction of pursuing perfection, but how can this drug be worth our family, friends, happiness, futures and even health. Society’s demand for perfection isn’t power. What type of power torments its giver? What type of power disappears in the thin air after we only reach halfway through our lives? Let’s put our determination and energy into improving parts of us that will benefit not only our lives, but lives of those around us forever, not just the next ten years.