Girls, resist the pressure of beauty standards
A young girl applying make-up. Photo iStock / Canva.com
Christian Life
Raising a daughter in a violent and sexually hungry world is a challenge. Especially when we don't only talk about the physical world outside but also about the world that is located in smartphones that girls carry in their pockets.
The beauty standards are found to be the main pressure factor that heavily influences their self-perception. It is impossible to keep up with the changing beauty standards and it becomes a huge struggle for many girls.
Teen years are hard enough due to the teens' bodies' development and huge hormonal stress and changes. All those processes cause anxiety, feelings of loneliness, and depression. Bullying, for example, at school, complicates the situation as many teenagers hate themselves and develop suicidal ideas.
Despite the new trend of body acceptance, kids are heavily exposed to unreachable standards and bullying in schools. Girls are hit harder than boys when it comes to their mental health. They are almost twice as likely to say they made a suicide attempt. Although boys, too, struggle with their appearance, society treats women more as sexual objects and judges them according to their body appearance.
Make-up
Social media pressure hits even harder as kids look up to and follow social media celebrities who promote beauty standards and hatred of those who are different.
Almost every girl uses inbuilt photo filters so she can "compensate" to reach some beauty standards. Many don't dare to post a selfie without a filter as the comments of the followers would be harsh regarding hair, face, or makeup. Society leads girls to believe that they are fat or ugly.
Child development experts highlight that even children as young as three or four years old have already formed firm opinions about body image influenced by various social platforms.
Imperfections
Breaking free from beauty standards is hard. Yet, it is possible. It all starts at home, as the family is the first place that can either support or destroy the confidence of the child.
A mother becomes the first female role model that kids see. The way a father treats their mother also shows kids whether love is blind to imperfections of each other. These role models are very important to create self-confidence in girls.
However, it is also important to have people outside the family who can lift up girls and help them build a healthy self-perception and love towards themselves. In my ministry with kids and teenagers, I see the difference in how kids trust phrases said by both their families and outsiders. Every time I have a chance, I strive to build up girls and tell them they are beautiful, and it is a joy to see their eyes light up as they grow to be more confident.
We can preach a lot about how God created us differently and how He loves diversity instead of standardised monotony (as in modern beauty standards), but it is our attitude that shapes kids and shows them how to love themselves and others despite the cultural pressure.
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