The Power of Beauty Obsessions

As I have already mentioned in a previous post about Toddlers in Tiaras, I am most certainly not a fan of the so-called beauty pageants, especially the ones for young children. Imagine my frustration, then, when while watching the news one morning last week, I hear about a case on Good Morning America about a mother who uses Botox on her eight-year-old daughter. The case outraged many, including me, and I decided to put down a few thoughts on it. 

The case is by all means the perfect example of the extreme heights to which appearance obsession has taken many. What’s worse is that the mother stated that she is not endangering the child’s life and that her daughter asked her for the Botox. Ok, I am sorry, but since when are eight-year-olds in charge of what they can have? Isn’t the parent supposed to be the mature adult that should be making the decisions? Watching the video, one can discern who truly makes that decision as when asked by the interviewer why she does it, the young girl’s simple answer is, “I don’t know.” 

Most of the reports on the case focus on the physical aspect of the harm incurred. I am not very familiar with the chemical structure of Botox, but I am sure it does have an impact on one’s body. However, I am more concerned about the psychological impact this ordeal will have on the young girl. If this child grows up believing wrinkles don’t look good on young girls (What wrinkles are they referring to anyway? She is an eight-year-old!), how will she accept herself as she matures and becomes an adult with actual wrinkles?

Are people so bored nowadays that we have to focus on so much that does not matter (appearance) and forget to pay attention to what makes us unique and special (character)? Every time I read or hear about a case, similar to the above-mentioned one, I recoil in disgust and feel disappointed by the human race. What such actions teach young children is that what they are is not good enough and that somehow, they need to use outside agents to make themselves look prettier. Then we wonder why the younger generation feels their lives are empty and meaningless...

 - Krasi