Sydney Martinez, Campus Carrier opinions editor
We can’t believe everything we see online. If it’s not edited, it’s filtered. There are posing techniques, strategic angles, lighting tricks and now, even AI that hide human flaws and create illusions of perfection on social media. Thankfully, more people are starting to reveal these tricks, breaking down unrealistic expectations and helping others feel less alone in their insecurities.
Too often, people are judged for their body, skin, height — anything and everything. And honestly, that judgment usually comes from jealousy or people projecting their own insecurities onto others. We need to stop tearing people down just because we don’t like something about ourselves. We all have our flaws; it’s just part of being human. Trying to bring someone “down to your level” doesn’t make you feel better — it just damages their self-image, and it does not heal you either.
Beauty standards are a social construct. They’re made up to make people conform to ideals that often benefit the powerful — industries, institutions and social hierarchies. Beauty is also a power structure that disproportionately harm marginalized communities. These standards are not rooted in any objective truth, they shift depending on culture, time period and who holds influence.
To put this into perspective, beauty standards became increasingly influential during the 1960s, as more women entered the workforce. At the time, hiring practices in many female-dominated industries were heavily based on appearance. Airlines, for example, looked for women who fit a specific height and weight requirement, reinforcing the idea that professional value was tied to looks.
As the decades went on, these standards evolved but remained just as rigid. In the 1980s, extreme thinness became the ideal and diet culture exploded. Infomercials pushed weight loss programs and athletic wear as tools to “stay in shape.” More recently, the focus has shifted again, this time toward hourglass figures, wide hips and full lips, creating an equally narrow mold that few people naturally fit into.
Beauty standards are never-ending, constantly shifting based on trends and media influence. They won’t stop changing until we collectively accept that there is no single “ideal” body. Everyone has a different body and that’s exactly how it’s supposed to be. What’s considered beautiful in one place or era might be completely different in another, proving that beauty is not fixed — it’s taught. And if it’s taught, it can be unlearned. To get to the bottom line, we need more body positivity in the world.
The problem is that these ideals often serve to exclude. They set narrow expectations for bodies, skin tones, hair types, and facial features, pressuring people — especially women and marginalized groups — to fit into boxes they did not choose. But beauty doesn’t have to mean conformity.
People compare themselves to edited photos, filtered videos, and influencers, setting themselves up for failure by measuring against something fake — or something unsustainably extreme. Many also compare themselves to body fitness influencers, but the reality is that only a small portion of the population looks like that. Most of us don’t — and we don’t need to. There has to be more representation for people who don’t fit the “super fit” mold because those people exist, and they deserve to be seen too.
Lately, more mid-sized and plus-size influencers have started gaining visibility — and it’s refreshing. These creators are showing up confidently in their bodies, posting unedited photos, embracing their curves and speaking openly about the ups and downs of body image. They are breaking down the myth that you have to be thin to be fashionable, desirable, or worthy of attention.
These influencers aren’t just promoting body positivity — they’re normalizing reality. They show what real bodies look like sitting down, moving, bloating or just existing. They remind people that you can be healthy, stylish and happy in a body that doesn’t match the so-called “ideal.” Their presence gives others permission to show up as they are, without shame or apology.
We need more of that. More representation. More voices saying, “You don’t have to shrink yourself to be enough.” Because when people see themselves reflected in media — in all their sizes, shapes, and shades — it chips away at the lie that beauty only looks one way. It helps build a world where self-worth isn’t measured by how close you are to a trend, but by how fully you accept yourself.
Real beauty can be found in diversity, individuality, and self-expression. The more we question beauty “standards,” the more free we become to define beauty for ourselves — not for the sake of approval, but for empowerment. Choose kindness over criticism, acceptance over judgment. Because when we stop trying to fit into a mold, we finally get to grow into ourselves.