Gen Zers are feeling the pressure to keep up with body trends
perpetuated by celebs and social media.
I’m Danteé Ramos and this is MTV News Need To Know.
Earlier this year, the American Academy of Facial Plastic and
Reconstructive Surgery found out that in 2022,
75 percent of plastic surgeons saw a spike in clients under 30.
Doctors say that as life moved largely online during the pandemic,
people became unhappy with the way their faces appeared on their
computer cameras and decided to get some tweaks.
They refer to this movement as the “Zoom boom.”
For Gen Zers, social media is another force in pushing body trends,
particularly on TikTok,
where young women make up the vast majority of users.
And now “body checks” have taken off on the app,
where users zero in on the thinness of a particular body part.
A student-led high school publication called The Bird Feed
did a deep dive into body checks and found out that
The app's algorithm feeds body check content to teenagers’
For You pages,
causing users to put unrealistic expectations on themselves.
It’s not just TikTok though.
Last year, internal Instagram data showed that the app was harmful
to teen girls’ mental and physical health,
directly making them feel worse about their bodies.
And secretiveness around beauty standards has toxic effects.
Just last year, after a slew of starlets became unaccountably thinner,
reports came in that many folks in Hollywood were taking the
diabetes drug Ozempic, which causes rapid weight loss.
Very few celebrities have admitted to using it,
and instead nod to new diets and workout routines,
which are also damaging.
The extreme weight loss trend
plus the ‘90s aesthetic coming back into style
have made way for the countless “thin is back” headlines.
Buccal fat removal was the most headlined surgery of 2022,
in Hollywood and beyond.
This shift also ushered in the end of the BBL era,
the surgery popularized when curvier figures were in style.
Influencer ProblematicFame spreads awareness of how
social media impacts beauty standards.
They told MTV News,
Experts warn that Ozempic and buccal removal
come with serious consequences.
Top facial surgeon Theda Kontis warn that Ozempic
can accelerate the effects of aging on your face.
And she warned that buccal fat surgery isn’t reversible,
and could have opposite effects of what you want when you get older.
Some influencers say that being open about their beauty journeys is the key
to debunking unattainable standards
and have decided to share their cosmetic enhancements
with their followers.
Lindsay Kite, a leading expert in the study of body image,
told MTV News that honesty is key:
"It's not through the beauty brand that you're partnering with.
"It's not through the vitamins, the gummys, the flat tummy tea,
"the cleanse.
"It is often through cosmetic procedures that these idealized looks
"are achieved and maintained.
"That's where it's a social responsibility issue,
"where celebrities and influencers need to be aware
"of who they're influencing, who is watching,
"and oftentimes, a good chunk of that audience is young,
"impressionable girls and women who are looking to see what it takes
"in order to be valued, to be respected, to be confident,
"and to be worthy of love."
Recently, some celebrity women have expressed regrets and/or warnings
about cosmetic procedures.
Bella Hadid told 'Vogue' that she had a nose job at age 14, which she regrets.
Last Year, Cardi B got her butt injections removed and warned fans
not to get them
because of their serious complications they can cause.
And last week,
Blac Chyna documented getting her butt shots removed,
along with some other surgical removals.
But there are also plenty of celebs,
like Chrissy Teigen, Dolly Parton, and Kaley Cuoco who love their work.
Listen, I’m like anyone else.
I want to look good.
I want to be fashionable.
I have insecurities.
And I think that people have the right to make choices about their bodies.
But the problem here
is that body trends are moving at the speed of light.
If our decision-making tries to keep up with social media,
and our self-worth is dictated by an app that favors toxic content,
we could really hurt ourselves.
We are not the body police.
But know that just like any kind of jeans you wear,
body trends come and go.
But if you do go under the knife,
do your research and make sure you are doing it for yourself.
I’m Danteé Ramos and that’s what you need to know.