In 1960 life expectancy in the US was 67.7 years while in 2020 life
expectancy was about 80 years and continues to increase as time
goes one. Advances in medical science, the improvement of medical
care and increased access to healthcare are factors that have
contributed to the increase in life expectancy in the US.
In my opinion, a contributing factor as to why the US continues to
focus on youth and beauty when the population is steadily growing
older is social media. Social media is used to stay socially connected
to others is order to “ease stress, anxiety, and depression, boost self-
worth, provide comfort and joy, prevent loneliness, and even add
years to your life” (helpGuide.org, Oct. 2021) When using social
media people show the best aspects of their lives and tend to hide
any hardships in their lives from the public. According to
HelpGuide.Org, negative experiences that can come out of social
media include Inadequacy about your life or appearance, Self-
absorption, Depression and anxiety. Social media has contributed to
attributing quality of life with aspects such as youth and beauty.“A
study surveyed 227 female college students and found that young
women who spend more time on Facebook may feel more concerned
about their body because they compare their appearance to others
(especially to peers).” (Online.king.edu, Oct. 2019) The obsession
with wanting to look good has led to focus on appearance rather
than general health and a focus on youth and beauty when the
population is steadily growing older.
Link between social media & body image. King University Online.
(2019, October 9). Retrieved from
https://online.king.edu/news/social-media-and-body-image/
Medina, L., Sabo, S., & Vespa, J. (2020, February). Current population
reports - shutdown.census.gov. Census.gov. Retrieved from
https://shutdown.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publicati
ons/2020/demo/p25-1145.pdf
Ortaliza, J., Ramirez, G., Satheeskumar, V., & Amin, K. (2021,
September 28). How does U.S. life expectancy compare to other
countries? Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker. Retrieved from
https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/u-s-life-
expectancy-compare-countries/#:~:text=Over%20the%20last
%20several%20decades,life%20expectancy%20has%20generally
%20increased.
Robinson, L. (2021, October). Social Media and Mental Health.
HelpGuide.org. Retrieved from
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/social-media-and-
mental-health.htm
