How Socials are F*x!n$ with Your Self-Acceptance
A study released in Nov. 2022 looked at beauty-enhancing behaviors in 93 countries; this includes “clothing style, caring for body hygiene, and exercising or following a specific diet for the specific purpose of improving ones physical attractiveness” -all of which are universal, by the way. Only 1% of the participants in this huge study spent LESS THAN 10 minutes a day doing things to improve their appearance. (It’s normal to care how you look and spend some time each day to adjust it.)
Interestingly,
The strongest predictor of attractiveness-enhancing behaviors was social media usage.
What this means is, the more time a person spent on socials, the more time (s)he spent trying to look more attractive.
There is no shame in styling your hair, lengthening your lashes, or anything else you do in hopes of looking a certain way- up to the point where time spent doing these activities creates problems in your life (ie: “I missed my nephew’s birthday because I couldn’t pick out an outfit.” or “My partner always complains that I take so long getting ready that we are late for things.”). But are you being programmed to spend more time “fixing yourself” by social media? Would you feel less like you needed to be fixed, if not for TikTok?
More fun facts about who is doing more beauty-enhancing:
more time was spent enhancing beauty by women (almost 4 h a day, on average) than by men (3.6 h a day),
by those with a relatively more severe history of infectious diseases,
and by participants currently dating compared to those in established relationships.
Other predictors of whether someone spends more time enhancing their looks include (in order of most effect):
adhering to traditional gender roles,
residing in countries with less gender equality,
considering oneself as highly attractive or, conversely, highly unattractive,
higher socioeconomic status,
right-wing political beliefs,
a lower level of education, and
personal individualistic attitudes.
Which of these surprise you? Which contribute to how much time you spend adjusting your looks? What would you like to be the driver for combing your hair, putting on makeup, and getting dressed?
