A study published in the UK some years ago showed a worrying rise in the number of teenagers who have been admitted to the hospital for an eating disorder. An analyst/expert attributed this to the celebrity culture of what these youths see on social media as an ideal body. According to him, a lot of teenagers and youths feel insecure because of their physical looks.
Today’s predominant culture showcases that for one to be a success and to be worth it, looking beautiful and attractive should count first. It’s a youth and beauty-obsessed world where people are undergoing different cosmetic surgery procedures, and botox, and are on all sorts of diets to ‘slay’ and look beautiful. Hence, they tend to tune out the reality of who they are and attach less importance to their personality.
The message here is not to criticize what people do to look young or condemn the importance of looking good. It is to sensitize the young ones on the need to prioritize what matters more, to see the bigger picture, and to invest more in it.
The media enablers and look-good society need to set things right. Why assure a young girl who feels insecure that he/she looks stunning? Why think that a lady feels better only when her looks are praised? Why is being hot considered the ultimate compliment? Why conclude that beautiful people are beautiful, ‘inside out’? These biases do children and youths a lot of disservice in understanding who they truly are.
It is time they’re taught to appreciate who they are and what they have. To place more value on the inside than the outside. To be heard more than they are seen. To be useful more than they are attractive. To appreciate that being smart, innovative, and resourceful is worth more than being adored, praised, and celebrated for their looks.
Beauty is good. Looking adorable is great, but being obsessed with the looks to the detriment of what’s more important, which is the personality, is what should be redefined. A lot of children, especially girls grew up believing that to be loveable, they must be beautiful and that people’s experience of them is more important than their experience of themselves.
They need to stop associating value with appearance and understand that values and beliefs can not be measured by the image seen in the mirror but by what the mirror reflects from within. They need to be convinced that their appearance has absolutely no bearing on their worthiness, values, lovability, or the respect they deserve. They need to be reminded that whilst it is good to look good, It is not how they look but who they are that matters most. Not the modelling agency they represent but the character they model. Not the number of abs in their trunk but the size of their heart. That being strong, a good listener, a problem solver, a hard worker, and having a kind heart is worth more than any physical beauty they can imagine.
There is a thick line between appearance and worth. There are many more beauties in a person that are not revealed on the surface, and that’s the identity that’s hidden in appearance.
The beauty of life truly lies in being our best selves through making the most use of the gift of God in us. To appreciate our physical imperfections and understand that they are part of what makes us unique. To focus on wisdom and insight that reflects in the inner self as against the outer self.
We must balance the beauty and value equation and turn on our inner wisdom.
✍️ Amara Ann Unachukwu
