Beauty is ever-changing in American society.
It is an abstract social construction that media continues to promote in order to advertise products and raise consumer consumption.
The pressure girls experience to fit the idolized body of the time isn’t a new phenomenon, but it has gained coverage through “real beauty” campaigns due to the noticeably damaging effects it’s having on girls starting at a very young age.
The negative effects range from social anxiety, depression, eating disorders, body dysmorphia and so on.
The recent fight against dress code shaming has gotten the attention of the public through viral internet posts.
Young girls around the United States have been told they need to change their “inappropriate” outfits or they will be asked to leave school for the day.
Instead of telling girls that they can be successful and have the ability to do valued things, we are telling them that their appearance is what counts. We are telling them that they are a distraction to males.
Schools may believe they are helping educate women about proper attire, but really they are teaching them to feel bad about their bodies and suppress sexual expression.
So let’s break this down and talk about how such “dress code shaming” harms females.
by Mae Gruen
CougarBuzz 