Perfection.
The state or quality of being or becoming perfect.

Perfect.

Entirely without any flaws, defects or shortcomings... Accurate, exact, or correct in every detail.

This is what everyone should be.
This is what everyone should be.
This is what everyone should be.

But how can we all be “perfect”?

It’s quite simple actually. All you gotta do is be skinny and pretty. You could be a well-known model acknowledged for your Colgate smile. Or a famous athlete with a lofty status.

You’re flawless.

You’re amazing.

You’re perfect.

Well, according to the media, that is.

All around us, we are being told two different sides of an issue. One is that everyone is beautiful no matter what they look like. The second is that there is a certain group of people who can be perfect and they are skinny and pretty. If you’re not any of those things, you’re not perfect.

But we humans aren’t meant to be “perfect.” We make mistakes. We commit sins. We do things that we’ve regretted in the past. Even Hannah Montana said it.
Nobody’s perfect.
... Nobody besides that certain group of people. And the media has helped raise unwanted awareness about them. Through TV shows to advertisements, the media has been dropping subtle hints about this exclusive “perfect” society.
Let’s take Disney Channel for example. It’s home of the many famous kid-friendly films and TV shows, but it’s also the new home of something else-
Something affective.
Something that needs to be taken care of.
Something a lot more slimmer.
Skinny actresses. The network’s female stars, at the moment, all lack
the same thing that previous TV show characters have not.
Meat.
And no, not the meat that we eat. No, no, I’m talking about the meat on our bones. Lately, Disney’s leading ladies are a lot thinner than previous characters. Remember Raven? Or Lizzie Mcguire? They represented the many sizes that teens should feel comfortable to have. Not every girl on this planet is a size 0. Try telling that to Disney and Co.
Speaking of weight, what would happen if we saw plus-sized women in ads? I’ll tell you what would happen- those commercials would get banned. In 2010, a Lane Bryant commercial got blocked from ABC for having their plus-sized model show too much cleavage. “‘The cleavage of the plus-size models, they said, was excessive, and we don't think that's the case,’ said the source. ‘It certainly appears to be discrimination against full-sized women.’” Fox also blocked the ad, but then replaced it for a Victoria’s Secret commercial.
Replaced.
Just let that sink in.
They replaced a lingerie ad... With another lingerie ad.
An ad that may have probably used photoshop to perfect their photos. Photoshop, which was originally created to bring something more into focus, is now used to change a photo of someone until they become the slimmer and prettier version of themselves that will be shown to the rest of the world.
Ya hear that world? The photos we see on billboards, ads, magazines... Fake.
The American Medical Association, a group of physicians against photoshop, believe that it “can contribute to unrealistic expectations of appropriate body image.” Teens may look up to a singer because they like their music, but the singer themselves could be living a life where their magazine-selves are a lot thinner than what they see in the mirror. A life of lies. And better yet, they’re showing that body off to millions of young girls and boys who believe that that is how their body should look as well.
Constance Bennett, an actress from the 1930s, once said, "Remember, that to be beautiful and natural is the natural birthright of every woman." Although she is not with us anymore, the message behind her words is still as bright as neon lights flashing in the minds of young teens. So many teens all around the world are being pressured to be pretty that some have even gone to YouTube and posted videos asking their viewers a simple question, “Am I pretty or ugly?” And it’s not just the idea of asking YouTube viewers rather than yourself, but the comments are shocking too. Negative suggestions flood the comments box, from lose weight to have surgery.
But there are young women out there who know that perfection isn’t about the outside. Anna Unterreiner, a senior in high school, explains her opinion on the YouTube videos: “I think it’s really sad that this is what it’s come to and I also think it’s very understandable that this is what it’s come to, because it’s the pressure of everyday life. If you look good then you’re popular and looks is what this society is more and more based upon.” Administrators believe that teens should build self-esteem so they don’t follow the footsteps of these “attention-seeking behaviors.” “That’s really what this is all about,” said Sarah Strohmeyer, an award-winning author of books about relations between men and women. “They’re seeking attention and so what are the ways we can give positive attention for appropriate things and not just focus on looks?” Counselors have advised parents to talk to their children about what makes them feel self-conscious and to go over the idea of inner beauty.

Unfortunately, teens have already grasped onto the idea that beauty is the key to perfection. And makeup seems to be their loyal friend in that situation. But makeup doesn’t only make people look “pretty.” When you share makeup with a friend, you’re also sharing bacteria and viruses. Or if you’re unknowingly sharing makeup with heaps of people you don’t even know at makeup counters in stores. A survey of samples of makeup announced that half were contaminated with bacteria.
Makeup isn’t the only thing that has a horrible other side to it. Because teens are being pressured into the realm of perfection, they are facing very serious disorders like anorexia and bulimia. Both disorders are united with the fear of gaining weight, but anorexic people skip meals or starve themselves whereas bulimic people eat lots of food until they are full and then throw it all up.
Did you know that about 24 million people wrestle an eating disorder in the US?
Did you know that more than 80% of teens confess to smoking cigarettes, skipping meals, fasting, or vomiting to control their weight?
Did you know that 69% of girls ages 10 to 18 confirm that photographs of models and celebrities in magazines inspired their desired body shape?
All because of one simple, 10-letter word.
Perfection.