In my opinion, two of the major reasons that youth and beauty
continue to be emphasized is due in part to ageism and the
glamorization of beauty in media/on social media. Between 2015 and
2030 it is estimated that the number of people over 60 years old is
expected to increase from 900 million to almost 1.5 billion globally;
by 2050 the population within this demographic is expected to reach
2 billion people (Haseltine, 2018). As the population’s age increases,
there continues to be an emphasis on youth and beauty. If you were
to turn on your tv and flip through a couple of channels, you’d likely
see someone who is conventionally attractive, physically fit or falls
within society’s “standards” of beauty. On social media, people
generally post the “best” aspects of their lives, however, in
comparison this can have a significant impact on someone’s
psychological well-being. If someone doesn’t fit into what they see in
the media/online they may take measures (i.e. using anti-aging
products, increasing their workout regimen, increased make up use,
plastic surgery etc.) to alter their appearance to fit societal beauty
norms. As a result of this, the number of men and women who are
seeking cosmetic procedures and plastic surgery to enhance or
reverse the impacts of aging are at an all time high (Berger, 2017).
In addition to attempting to fit social norms of beauty, the population
is also fixated on appearing much younger than they actually are,
which could be a direct result of ageism within the country (Berger,
2017). According to the World Health Organization, children as
young as 4 years old are aware of cultural stereotypes regarding age
(World Health Organization, n.d). Ageism is a learned behavior
through medial exposure and culture stereotypes, therefore I wasn’t
too surprised when I read that statistic (Berger, 2017). It is clear that
the media is heavily biased toward youth and beauty which can have
significant impacts on perceived biases and stereotypes.
References:
Berger, R. (2017). Aging in America: Ageism and General Attitudes
toward Growing Old and the Elderly. Open Journal of Social
Sciences, 05(08), 183–198. https://doi.org/10.4236/jss.2017.58015
Haseltine, W. A. (2018, April 2). Aging Populations Will Challenge
Healthcare Systems All Over The World. Forbes. Retrieved
from https://www.forbes.com/sites/williamhaseltine/2018/04/02/a
ging-populations-will-challenge-healthcare-systems-all-over-the-
world/?sh=42645f152cc3
World Health Organization. (n.d.). Ageing: Ageism. World Health
Organization. Retrieved
from https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item
/ageing-ageism#:~:text=Ageism%20refers%20to%20the
%20stereotypes,or%20oneself%20based%20on
%20age.&text=Ageism%20intersects%20and%20exacerbates
%20other,to%20sex%2C%20race%20and%20disability
.
