Turning a Cheek to Unrealistic Beauty Standards

Are you sometimes tormented with thoughts telling you that you’re not pretty enough? Not skinny enough? Not sexy enough? You’re not alone.

As college students, we can’t help but compare ourselves to the women in the media, such as actresses, models and all of the other women we look up to (or we have shoved in our faces every time we open a magazine or turn on the TV). And, if you have eyes, you know that these women are beyond perfect.

The beauty standards that women are pressured to live up to are frankly unattainable and unrealistic. This is not only important for girls to understand, but men, too.  A girl shouldn’t feel pressure to be a D-cup, while also being the size of a twig. It doesn’t work like that.

“I feel guilty when I compare myself to women on TV,” says sophomore marketing major Maddi Meiers. “I’m too hard on myself thinking that it’s my fault I’m not as perfect as them.”

But, girls, what we don’t realize is that Photoshop is the mastermind behind a lot of the flawlessness, meaning…wait for it… a lot of it’s not real! If everybody could understand that curves and imperfections are beautiful in any shape or form, then the world would be a better place (no kidding).

On that note, contrary to belief, it is not necessary to sexualize yourself in every way possible to gain attention from boys. You won’t always have your looks, so it is important to flaunt your ravishing personality. Yeah, Kate Upton is quite popular being a sex symbol and all, but that is not everyday reality. To hell with what the media thinks is sexy!

It’s time to step out of fantasy land and appreciate real women of all shapes and sizes. Beauty is more than skin deep. We’ve heard this line a million times before, but it is the truth.