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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Utah chapter.

Social media has an ideal body image. And, unfortunately, it’s a standard that only 1% of the women worldwide have achieved. As tempting as it is to be able to look like the Hadid sisters or Kaia Gerber, the reality is, that it’s not quite possible. Of course, there are exceptions, but the average female does not look that way.

 

Sticks and Stones

Women are told every day that they need to look a certain way. “Your body is not feminine enough,” “You would look better with a thigh gap,” and “You’re pretty…but you could lose fifty pounds,” are things that we, sadly, hear on a daily basis. It’s not motivation. If anything, it just feels bad. How are we supposed to be skinny and curvy? Why is it not ok to have bulkier muscles? I understand that a lot of these standards are taught to us by generations before, but it shouldn’t be an imposed rule. If only the day would come when my mother will stop berating me about the extra fat I shouldn’t have, my wide shoulders that are only for men, and how I need to push my A cups forward to appeal to the male species. If only.

 

Shabby Style

If getting comments on our bodies weren’t enough, some people look down on women who do not fit the “norm,” when it comes to fashion and makeup. I have friends who are always caught up on the latest trend. It kills them to wear last month’s fad or have last year’s eye look. The Kardashians have taught us to use waist trainers so we can have the waist the size of a grape. We’re afraid to be caught with panty lines when we wear our favorite leggings. But don’t be pressured by the media to change yourself, let’s just be comfortable.

 

Besides vanity, there are a lot more that women are expected to do and act in order to be able to function normally in society. As much as I hope there is a future where none of this happens, I know it is still far away. There will always be a “standard,” for the way women dress, act, speak, and maybe even eat.

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A girl studying Journalism at the University of Utah. When she is not writing, Nina enjoys novels, her cute dog, dancing in the air and buying excessive amounts of skincare that she doesn't need. 
Her Campus Utah Chapter Contributor