Beyond the Filter: The Damaging Reality of Unrealistic Beauty Standards

by Lavinia-Noelle Reiling

"There is no ideal size to look pretty. Prettiness is a feeling. It cannot be showcased; it can only be felt" (Fashion Law Journal, 2023). Yet I've found myself trapped in the exhausting cycle of comparison. I've experienced firsthand how damaging it can be to measure my worth against images of people on the internet. Even after knowing that most of these beauty standards are impossible to achieve without surgical intervention, I wanted nothing more than to look like these perfectly curated Instagram feeds and flawlessly retouched magazine covers. While I firmly believe everyone should make choices about their appearance that bring them confidence, the normalization of these altered images as everyday standards creates a dangerous disconnection from reality. Despite the growing awareness of digital manipulation in the media, rates of body dissatisfaction continue to rise globally, suggesting that knowledge alone is insufficient to combat these harmful effects.

Is fitting in the beauty standard the goal in life?

The fashion industry and media are known for editing its images. You might think that there is nothing wrong with this. However, it is important to understand that these changes range from slight adjustments, such as whitening the models' teeth or smoothing wrinkles, to drastic modifications, including slimming the model's waist and arms (MacCallum and Widdows 2016). As Mac Callum and Widdows state, “digital alteration means that increasingly the images with which we are bombarded are even more idealized and unreal, and this exacerbates the problem by setting ever higher expectations of what it is to be normal, good enough, or perfect" (MacCallum and Widdows 2016:236).

The pressure to look a certain way can cause serious mental health issues (Medical News Today 2024). 5 out of 10 young women risk their health by not eating or avoiding medical care due to body image concerns. Furthermore, 54% of girls aged between 10 and 17 have a low to medium body esteem, with 9 out of 10 of these girls “wish[ing] they always or often looked like somebody else” (Dove Global Girls Beauty and Confidence Report 2017:16). Moreover, “half of women with low body esteem would give up a year or more of their life if it would mean achieving their ideal appearance or body size” (The Real State of Beauty: A Global Report 2024:8).

Body Positivity: A light at the end of the tunnel?

The body positivity movement has attempted to counter these harmful narratives, but its commercialization has sometimes diluted its message. The movement's incorporation into mainstream marketing often maintains the focus on appearance rather than shifting the conversation toward valuing bodies for their functionality and capabilities rather than their aesthetic appeal.

What now?

What we need is a fundamental shift in how we conceptualize beauty. This means supporting activists, brands, and unretouched images of diverse bodies without sexualizing or tokenizing them. Most importantly, it means recognizing that our worth isn't determined by our proximity to an arbitrary and constantly shifting beauty ideal. The fashion industry won't change overnight, but by consistently challenging unrealistic standards and supporting genuine representation, we can create a world where self-esteem isn't determined by impossible ideals but by the recognition of our inherent worth beyond appearance.

References

Boechat, B. & Diedrichs, P. (2024). The Real State of Beauty: A Global Report. https://www.dove.com/za/stories/campaigns/global-state-of-beauty.html

Fashion Law Journal. (2023, January 27). The psychological effects of fashion on body image and self-esteem. https://fashionlawjournal.com/the-psychological-effects-of-fashion-on-body-image-and-self-esteem/

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. (2022, October 7). Unrealistic beauty standards cost U.S. economy billions each year. https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/unrealistic-beauty-standards-cost-u-s-economy-billions-each-year/

Konings, F., Vranken, I., Cingel, D. P., Vandenbosch, L., & de Lenne, O. (2024). Are diverse models really non-idealized? Investigating body positivity public feed posts of fashion and beauty brands on instagram. Body Image, 50, 101728. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2024.101728

MacCallum, F., & Widdows, H. (2016). Altered images: Understanding the influence of unrealistic images and beauty aspirations. Health Care Analysis, 26(3), 235-245. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10728-016-0327-1

Medical News Today. (2024, May 1). Beauty standards and mental health: The connection and more. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/beauty-standards-and-mental-health

Merino, M., Tornero-Aguilera, J. F., Rubio-Zarapuz, A., Villanueva-Tobaldo, C. V., Martín-Rodríguez, A., & Clemente-Suárez, V. J. (2024). Body perceptions and psychological well-being: A review of the impact of social media and physical measurements on self-esteem and mental health with a focus on body image satisfaction and its relationship with cultural and gender factors. Healthcare, 12(14), 1396. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12141396

The 2017 Dove Global Girls Beauty and Confidence Report. https://digitaluniversity.womendeliver.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Mod-1-2017-Dove-Global-Girls-Beauty-and-Confidence-Report.pdf

BIO:

Lavinia-Noelle Reiling successfully completed her Bachelor's degree in business management with a focus on fashion and marketing at M Campus University in Munich in 2024. Following the completion of her degree, she decided to work a part-time position as a social media manager for a yoga studio. However, driven by her curiosity and desire to learn, she decided to start her Master's at AMD, Akademie Mode & Design in 2025.