Beauty Standards Continue In Today’s Society [Story by Hope Nguyen]
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eauty standards are an unconscious, but nevertheless, real thing that people deal with on a daily basis. According to Manifoldapp.org, beauty standards determine “what is beautiful, from body shape, to facial proportions, to height and weight.” Standards of beauty have existed all throughout human history, the only difference is they change every century or so. Manifoldapp.org claims they, “affect people’s everyday interactions, the media, and the commercial world.” In the most common form, beauty standards are a complex social process that are perpetuated through many forms of social status. There are little explanations for why they exist, but many theories range from evolution, racism, to social media. Cultural or social standards also affect beauty standards, as they vary based on where people are born. The Universality of Attractiveness Judgements claims that across cultures and within them, most people agree on who is objectively attractive at least. This does not take into account historical events such as colonialism, which have impacted the world’s perception of beauty since way back. “I do feel like pretty privilege is real because if one is more pretty they get more opportunities based on their appearance,” said junior Sahej Dhillon.“Not only just opportunities but they will attract more attention and hold more status of themselves anywhere based on their looks by making networks and successful careers.” “Pretty privilege is definitely a real thing in our society,” said senior Khalid Moosa. “It’s been engraved in our society and is constantly shoved in our face through social media and other
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media we consume. People that are closer to the beauty standard are often associated with fame, fortune, and being treated better. We are inclined as humans to favor people who we think are attractive.” Matthew Ablaza, a senior said, “For most people, pretty privilege is not a real thing because what society deems pretty is not only subjective, but is a goal that can be reasonably reached.” “Society operates on the fact in which people are more attractive and meet societal beauty standards that have a lot of advantages and opportunities compared to people who are less attractive and not noticeable,” said junior Harkirat Dhillon. According to Firstrand.co, Pretty Privilege is, “the association of beauty with talent, intelligence, social success, and health.” Firstrand claims it may start, “as early as pre-school, where cuter kids get more attention from their teachers and are expected to do well. With that attention come better grades, more confidence, and greater comfort with public display.” “I do think people treat others differently based on their looks because [their] first impression is first judge as well,” Sahej Dhillon said. “If someone really attractive ends up approaching people it will make the person look more friendly or even confident in ways where they have more opportunities to see the world rather than someone less attractive. People won’t really want them as they’ve been rejected in other stages of life where they’re already sad about them not meeting the beauty standards. It’s mainly about the brain and pre existing beliefs.” In 2021, TikTok user @whygz asked people to share stories about the first time they realized people thought
they were ugly, which spurred a trend where people shared stories on when they realized people thought they were unattractive. The trend spawned conversations where people discussed the reality of living in a world where people thought they were ugly, and how they were treated because of it. Many pointed out that people don’t respect those who are ugly or treat them with kindness or give them the time of day. “People do treat others differently based on their looks. Someone would be naturally biased towards someone who they find attractive versus someone who they don’t find attractive,” Ablaza said. “This is clearly shown in the dating field but can also affect things like careers. Looks are one the most important factors in making a first impression and people will naturally judge others based on looks.” Looks are seen as important because they are the cause of first impressions. Whenever a person meets someone, the person will judge them based on their looks first and character last. The American Psychological Association claims, “how you look and act can matter as much as your ideas.” Harkirat Dhillon said, “It’s just morally wrong to hate on someone who might not seem attractive and like how a lot of people say it depends on what type of ugly you are. Being treated differently based on looks isn’t easy and it makes others feel insecure about how they look and how they can match up to a standard of being physically attractive.” “I think people make a lot of assumptions about what somebody is like based on their looks. Seeing someone who’s bigger, darker, or even if they dress a certain way really makes people fall to stereotypes and they