Who is to Blame for Unrealistic Standards: Social Media or Ourselves?

How many times a day do you encounter pictures of celebrities or Instagram models on social media, and then turn to look at yourself in the mirror just to get disappointed by what you see? You’re probably thinking that this is another article telling you to “just love yourself”, but the reality is that the problem is way more complex.
Unrealistic beauty standards have peaked during recent years and they keep pressuring women into feeling the need to look or act a certain way. Due to this, the expectations of our physical presentation have dramatically risen. But the question still arises: how come even women that are aware of this trap keep falling into it? The truth is, is that everything is embedded into goal setting. Many of our standards are set subconsciously, which is impacted by the information that we interpret throughout the day. What we expect from ourselves is already predetermined and heavily influenced by the expectations of other people that seem to fulfill expectations of their own. In other words, our goals are similar to the people who we surround ourselves with (pictures and videos included) which is why in reality, the social media is already doing most of the goal setting for us. Due to this, the majority of our goals tend to be revolved around the physical aspects in our lives. These subconscious goals are especially dangerous because we usually don’t fully realize or acknowledge their existence.
Now, you are more self-aware about this topic but might still be left wondering, “What now?”. The truth is that it only gets better when you force yourself to set your own realistic expectations that are uniquely catered to you. Once you consciously start setting your own goals, you start to gain control over your thoughts - this is where the change truly happens. When you get to clearly determine your own goals, the expectations for yourself change because you see yourself for what you are now and what you will be once the goals are achieved, instead of constantly chasing someone else’s achievements.
Being self-aware and informed about what you truly want in life holds so much power and freedom. Once you achieve the ability to fully control your thoughts, you have the ability to build the life you have always wanted by simply just being you.