Betheul Best

Respond to Stephanie and Mary post

Stephanie post

I think that the U.S. culture continues to focus on youth and beauty when a population that is steadily growing older, largely due to ageism. Ageism is defined as "any prejudice or discrimination against or in favor of an age group" (Kikushi et al., 2026). While this term refers to any age group, it is most commonly used to refer to prejudices against older adults. A Social Identity Theory is proposed, which roughly means that we have less anxiety in our "in-group," the group that we identify with, and have more bias towards our "out-group," the group we do not belong to. As we age, we inherently move towards our "out-group," which contributes to aging anxiety. I think the reason why we focus on youth and beauty is due to the aging anxiety of being perceived as being older. If we accept getting older, we have to accept belonging to an "out-group" that we formerly perceived poorly. This then causes us to look for products, procedures, or trends that may make us appear younger to be able to continue to relate to a younger generation. Furthermore, the U.S. has an individualistic culture, which generally goes along with wanting to feel young forever. Individualistic cultures value remaining independent. As one ages, independence may decrease. In the U.S., a loss of independence is perceived poorly. 

When I think about other cultures, I think beauty is more important in some cultures than others. Beauty standards may differ, meaning what is perceived as beautiful may differ, but I think beauty and aesthetics are important in most modern cultures. Social media is so heavily present and easily accessible to almost everyone--we can access it from a device kept in our pockets. Because of this overarching presence of social media, this changes ideas of body image and beauty standards, as what is popularly viewed on social media are thin and fit bodies (Zaharia, 2025). When I watch global reality television shows, it seems that plastic surgery and thin bodies are very prevalent. I would argue that plastic surgery, injections, and implants are heavily done and can adversely make a person appear older. The need to be ageless and subscribing to medical procedures to "enhance" beauty falls in line with the ageism I mentioned previously. 

Mary post

 

As the United States population steadily ages, the culture continues to focus on youth and beauty because society associates youth with attractiveness, energy, productivity, and success. The media, entertainment, and advertising industries promote youthful appearances through social media, television, fashion, and cosmetic products, which influence public perception and encourage people to value looking young rather than embracing aging as a natural stage of life (Soulie et al., 2024).

For example, I have a 78-year-old relative who does not like her gray hair; she goes to the salon every other month to have her hair dyed to her previous natural color to cover the gray. She said it makes her feel young and beautiful. Aging can sometimes be viewed negatively, leading to ageism in workplaces, social settings, and healthcare. Many older adults may feel pressure to maintain youthful behavior and appearance to remain socially accepted or professionally competitive (OU, 2024).

When I think about different cultures, I think beauty is more important in some cultures than others because cultural values shape how people define attractiveness and how much emphasis they place on appearance. Beauty is associated with social status, marriage opportunities, professional advancement, and success in many societies. Cultures that focus on media influence, fashion, and luxury lifestyles may place greater pressure on individuals to uphold certain beauty standards.