The average life expectancy is 77.8 years and according to the World Health
Organization (WHO) the average person in the U.S. will live to be over 100 by
the year 2040 (who.int). This means that the “golden age” for people is lasting
longer and thus more individuals are choosing to stay younger for as long as
possible. The fact that people are living longer and now the influence of social
media has resulted in an age where youth and beauty are exemplified in
mainstream media.
In today’s world a vast majority of the population pays attention to physical
appearance. Physical appearance has been an important aspect of personal
identify and how individuals self-perception changes over the course of a
person’s life. An aspect to understand is how socio-cultural environment can
influence perceptions of attractiveness. These influences include peers, family
members, and the media. This starts with body image and what is the ideal
body-type which are conveyed from magazines, newspapers, TV, and social
media.
Social media has a significant impact on body image and why the general
population (especially in America are focused on youth and beauty. Social
media sites like Instagram revolve around images and less on written text.
Instagram also encourages other users to like and comment on pictures. The
Office for National Statistics identified that most popular use of internet for
adults in social media. Adults ages 16-24 (96% social media) and 25-34 years
(88%) (Walker et al, 2019). Is the increase in social media related to more body
image concerns and possible eating disorders? There are a lot of potential
ramifications for an individual who chooses to prioritize youth and beauty.
The increased use of social media and beauty has also had an impact on the
healthcare industry. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic
Surgery, cosmetic procedures increased from 17.2 percent in 2014 to 18.2
percent in 2017. These procedures are usually done to improve appearance and
form. Social media is arguably one of the biggest factors towards the “youth
movement” amongst adults.
References
Global Health and Aging - who | world health organization. (n.d.). Retrieved January 26,
2022, from https://www.who.int/ageing/publications/global_health.pdf#
Walker, C. E., Krumhuber, E. G., Dayan, S., & Furnham, A. (2019, April 30).#Effects of
social media use on desire for cosmetic surgery among young women - current
psychology. SpringerLink. Retrieved January 26, 2022, from
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12144-019-00282-1#
