A report has revealed that social media pressure has been linked to the cosmetic procedure boom. Conducted by Nuffield Council on Bioethics, the report has claimed that pressure from social media to focus on the perfect body image is what makes young people increasingly turn to procedures such as botox and fillers.
The report looked at what was influencing young people to consider cosmetic procedures and enhancements. The factors included: the 'increased use of the rating of images of the self and the body [on social media], for example through 'likes'; the popularity of celebrity culture, airbrushed images and makeover shows; [and] the huge growth in the use of social media.'
Such pressure comes from social media platforms like Instagram, where people can compose their profile to present the perfect life, as well as post pictures of edited selfies. The report further stated that 'advertising and marketing widely reinforce the belief that beauty is correlated with happiness and success. Women in particular are surrounded by the message that they have a duty to "make the best" of themselves.'
Perhaps the most shocking thing the report reveals is that this correlation between social media pressure and cosmetic procedures doesn't just affect millenials. Apps like 'Plastic Surgery Princess' and 'Little Skin Doctor' are being marketing to children as young as nine.
While the UK market for cosmetic procedures was estimated to be worth as much as £3.6bn in 2015, it's thought that this number has since grown even bigger. Clearly, this highlights the fact that we live in a world where we are subjected to huge amounts of pressure to look a certain way on a daily basis. When will the madness stop?
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