How Modern Media Has Affected the Consumption of Beauty
Image Courtesy: Vogue
In the age of endlessly and mindlessly scrolling through screens, the existence of media consumption has entered our lives indefinitely. It no longer requires effort; rather than going out of our way to pick up a newspaper or carefully paying attention to discourse over the radio, we can wake up, roll over, and have an endless stream of news and trends moving through our phones. Bombarded by the time we start our day, we are either actively or unintentionally subjected to events and conversations not directly related to us.
If this is the case, beauty is not excused from the conversation of topics that are perpetually ingrained into our beliefs and perceptions. With dark circles under our eyes and a foggy mind, we greet our days with the idea that what is broadcasted to us is the only means to achieve beauty. Fads that circulate are now set in stone, but such trends are noticably short-lived.
Image Courtesy: Elle
When a trend grows in popularity, it subconsciously sets the tone that the trend at the moment is the end-all-be-all. Suddenly, you wake up, and twelve people you pass throughout the day have all made the effort to come as close to a trend as possible. An individual sharing makeup hacks and hairstyles through a screen becomes tangible through trends translating into your personal life; suggesting that these beauty infatuations hold a cultural weight.
Further, the variety and accessibility of new trends in modern media affect how we perceive beauty. Because social media sites like TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram have made it so that those in the spotlight are no longer required to have a level of fame and celebrity status, a certain societal pressure is added to conform and adjust to new fads. We no longer see beauty trends as unattainable, as trends aren’t restricted to thousand-dollar treatments and styles. Ordinary people, with the rise of fast media consumption, are widely responsible for modern beauty trends — so media consumers don’t see a reason why they can’t participate in trending material as well.
Image Courtesy: Vogue
Depending on where your view lies, this is a culturally shifting sentiment. Creativity within beauty is expanding across all demographics; those with star power, money, and high social status do not have to be the individuals inspiring our expression of beauty, and the trends which make us feel empowered are available to all. On the other hand, because these trends typically end up being fads, consumers of media are influenced to spend money and resources to take part, but materials and financials are wasted as the cycle of a new trend will arise two to three weeks later, and the preexisting trend will be something of the past.
Image Courtesy: Avari Beauty
No matter your view, it is undeniable that the consumption of media has expedited the process in which products, styles, and trends are in season or style. Affecting accessibility to beauty materials and knowledge, the authority of who can speak on beauty, and the speed at which trends shift, the consumption of modern media has changed the beauty game for good.
Strike Out,
Writer: Blake N. Fiadino
Editor: Jayna O
Tallahassee