BY PRIMROSE GURA- It’s not because she is not beautiful enough or she lacks something but it’s her surroundings that create standards in her head that she feels pressured to fulfill. This has greatly affected her confidence because she always feels inadequate and in need of something. Welcome to world of social media where women cannot make independent choices but have to be driven by its force. We acknowledge the good social media has done for women but we ought to highlight that it has also has created a woman of low self esteem.
Social media which is made up of different platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, among others was created to connect people across the globe. Women of different backgrounds connected and started to use to use this platform to showcase their different lifestyles and cultures. This made other lifestyles and cultures to gain more popularity and favor than others. The not so popular cultures felt excluded and to fit in the social media world women were willing to abandon theirs. Businesses found it as an opportunity to sell products of popular cultures. It can be argued that it is indeed a lucrative business opportunity to locate and connect business stakeholder’s.
However, to ensure that businesses make more profits they are forced to take business decisions that may be not favorable to all women. This can be demonstrated by the pricing of feminine products that not all women can afford. The more they create a product and advertise the more the demand. Hence, without using these products women feel they are not beautiful enough. This has affected women as they feel they need to maintain social media standards. Social media power cannot be underestimated because it has influenced the lifestyles of a majority of women across the globe.
CLOTHING
Fashion is like a social media invention. It has created the need for women to have a certain type of clothing at a particular time and if a woman does not possess that clothing they feel inadequate. Women feel pressured to even go into extreme of getting themselves in debt so that they can feel better about themselves. However, fashion is quite dynamic. There is always something trending at any particular moment. It can be dress, shoe and having everything is almost impossible. Hence, there is always a need and gap that a woman needs to fill. We appreciate that there are women who can afford this lifestyle but for those who cannot this becomes a pressure point.
Phones
Taking the perfect selfie or having the latest phone is the goal. Women feel the need to have the latest gadgets and to take the perfect selfies so that they can post on social media. Instagram is one of the most popular platforms where there is advertising of luxurious lifestyles. Women use this platform to showcase their beauty. Women can go to extremes of creating fake identities because of social media pressure. In the process women lose their identity because they seek validation and approval from the audience on social media. The hunger to “slay” and portray a luxurious life has become the ultimate goal and true happiness and appreciation of human flaws becomes an obstacle. Beauty is now measured in the number of likes and views one gets on social media.
Appearance
Face and body shape have been a major source of insecurities for most women. Having the “hourglass body” so they say, is the standard body for “beautiful” women. The question you ought to ask yourselves is beautiful according to whom? Acne, spots and blemishes are associated with lack of beauty. These are all social media standards and social media has solution for every problem. Every problem comes with a business opportunity. Products are put in place that supposedly clear this skin problems .This is an amazing solution but at what costs? What about those who cannot afford does it mean they are not beautiful? Beauty is subjective and no one has an instrument for measuring what beauty is.
No fashion or phone can ever fulfill you as a woman. None of these can bring you happiness .Happiness comes from within. Having insecurities is normal but letting it define your identity is another story. Social media is an amazing place to appreciate different people from all over the world but it should not be a reason for you to start doubting your worth. You are enough………..