With the rise of social media, many things changed. This doesn’t just include the way people communicated or got news, but the way we view women bodies and minds evolves as well. You'd think this would be positive as our society advances but really it causes more negativity than anything.

Somewhere in history someone suddenly decided if you weren't a size 2 you weren’t beautiful. The ideal image of a woman's body is no bigger than a size 4, curvy, big breasted, a flat stomach, and muscular, but not so muscular that it takes on a more masculine quality.This is almost impossible to obtain without gaining an eating disorder or acquiring low self esteem. I know I speak for more than just one woman when I say that I am not a size two. I don't have C or D cup breasts. I don't have a flat stomach. I am also, while in shape, not the most toned. Due to the media’s influence, I have been taught to be ashamed of what makes me unique. If you don’t look like Kylie Jenner or Selena Gomez, there’s something wrong with you

When it comes to neck-up, It’s all about makeup. Girls wear makeup to feel good about themselves and help them feel their best. However, you can never win with makeup. If you wear it you’re just “Covering up your insecurities” but if you don’t you’re just looked at as ugly. Makeup isn’t used to hide our facial features, it’s used to enhance what we like the most. What’s so bad about using mascara and eyeshadow to bring out my eyes, or highlighter to bring out the high points of my face? Apparently that’s unacceptable according to media’s standards. According to the media a woman is supposed to just naturally have nicely shaped eyebrows, long thick eyelashes, no dark circles, no pimples or acne, and have a slim face. Most women only have a few of those qualities without using makeup. However, using makeup makes us “fake” so we just can never win. Plus, our hair is always supposed to be perfect, with no fly aways, long, and healthy. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to spend the amount of time it takes to even come close to that look every day. Some days I just want to throw it up in a messy bun, and that should be okay, but it’s not.

When it comes to personality, the ideal woman is smart (but not a know it all), funny (but not a clown), nice (but not too nice), passive (but still assertive when appropriate), shy (yet still confident) and more standards that are just un reachable. Can you read through that list and honestly say that it’s possible to be all of that? IT ISN’T! Real women can be whoever they want to be. They can be confident. They can be as smart as they want. They can be their best self.

The perfect woman does not exist. We’re all unique in the way we look and we are all beautiful despite what media tries to tell us every day. They try to tell us that we’re not good enough, and that we have to change ourselves to fit their un realistic concepts. However, if everyone did that, we’d all be the same, and society would be lifeless because we would be molded into one model. Embrace what makes you, you, and tell the media that you don't care what they say because we are all beautiful, no matter what anyone tries to instill in us.

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