As unrealistic beauty trends grow in popularity, how do teens deal with the consequences?

By Sharon Chang

This summer, season 7 of Peacock’s reality dating series “Love Island USA” has taken America by storm, bringing a group of hot singles together in a villa in Fiji to couple up and compete for America's favorite — and $100,000.

Amid the drama, angst and backstabs surrounding every episode, many viewers couldn’t help but notice: All the contestants look strikingly similar. From lash clusters and lip fillers to hair extensions, all the female contestants embody a specific American beauty standard of long hair and dewy skin. But, how much of it is natural? And how much money went into their appearances behind-the-scenes?

Stella Dougherty, Ella Miller and Tatum Saltsman scroll on their phones during lunch time at Wayne State University on July 18, 2025. Photo Illustration by Sharon Chang

As teens scroll through social media and binge reality shows, these curated images can shape how they see themselves. Reality TV and social media have historically targeted young populations. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok, along with shows like “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” and “Love Island,” target teenagers, depicting women who base their worth on their beauty and appearance. These shows have had an undeniable effect on audiences in both positive and negative aspects.

Erin Meyers, professor of communication and assistant director of the Women and Gender Studies Program at Oakland University, warns that although celebrity influence has always been prevalent, social media has made it more intense.

“Celebrity fandoms have always been a part of youth culture. It influences people to look up to someone stylistically for their fashion, and also for their general lifestyle,” Meyers says. “I think that social media has really intensified that with celebrity overall, because on one hand, it's expanded the idea of who counts as a celebrity, as well as made every part of a celebrity's life more visible and up for grabs for people.”

While Meyers acknowledges the positives of social media to create a platform to discuss important issues, she says it has also opened up a lot more potentially negative consequences for a person’s mindset and mental health. She notes a comparison culture, where people say, “Why am I not like them? Or I can't be happy unless I look exactly like celebrity XYZ.”

Due to these comparisons of unrealistic beauty standards seen in the media, some social media users suffer from self confidence.

“Social media certainly plays a role in how people are describing their anxieties about how they view themselves compared to others,” says Amalia Miralrio, a licensed therapist at Amity Detroit Counseling. “(Their anxieties) are not caused directly by social media, but these insecurities play out in their relationship with social media, and social media certainly does not help.”

Research supports Miralrio’s perspective. In addition to anxiety, low self-esteem, body dysmorphia and eating disorders have risen in teens as they are exposed to highly edited photos, making it difficult to resist comparison. Last year, NBC News reported on the “Love Island Effect,” a movement that started as a result of the 11th season of “Love Island U.K.” influencing young women to get cosmetic enhancements. To put it in numbers, a 2024 study by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons found 23,348 cosmetic procedures — including nose reshaping and liposuction — were performed on ages 19 and under nationwide, the same year NBC news published the article.

For younger tweens, the beauty standard portrayed on reality TV and social media can influence their use of adult cosmetics.

“I’ve definitely seen younger kids go to Sephora when they’re 11 or 12, and I think that’s a little too young,” says Ann Arbor resident Minji Kang, a 17-year-old social media user. “I didn’t really like the Drunk Elephant trend where kids were putting stuff on their skin,” she adds. “I don’t think it’s good because there’s so many chemicals. I don’t think it's appropriate, especially for their age.”

Drunk Elephant is a skin care cosmetics brand. Some chemicals in their products include niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, retinol and other peptides for anti-aging benefits, which some feel are unnecessary for kids. However, due to their bright and playful packaging, many children began buying these products after seeing older social media influencers use them.

All mental health and behavioral challenges can’t be blamed on social media. However, statistics show it does have an impact and shouldn’t be ignored. Despite its correlation, Miralrio warns that banning social media is not the best idea.

“I’m generally not a fan of government regulations of what’s happening online because that kind of censorship can be tricky,” she says, adding that it's important for children to feel connected to their social group by engaging on social media.

As social media becomes more prevalent and technology improves day by day, it’s important to learn the risks of the media, and what could be done to minimize them. Miralrio encourages parents to help children establish developmentally appropriate media literacy, making sure they understand what they’re seeing and ensuring that kids get positive feedback about who they are.

5 Ways to Improve Self-Esteem

Low self-esteem could be related to negative feelings around physical appearance or the idea that you are not talented enough. Here are some ways to combat these feels:

Engage in positive self talk: Make them genuine and say them out loud. “I am enough” and “I am smart” are some examples. It may seem silly at first, but speaking and hearing words out loud make them more memorable.
Do something thoughtful for someone else: Tutor a friend; help your parents wash the dishes; open the door for someone. Bringing kindness to people can indirectly bring kindness to yourself.
Find a hobby: Finding something you like to do brings your attention away from negativity and toward an activity you enjoy. It takes away excess free time and could also help build confidence.
Work out: You’ve heard this one before, but working out has been found to release mood boosting chemicals like endorphins. It also makes you physically strong!
Avoid comparison, and recognize perfection is unrealistic: It sounds corny, but no one is perfect. Everyone has struggles and assets that make them unique. When you see someone on the internet, you are seeing their assets more than their struggles. Focus on yourself, and aim to make you the best you.

This piece is part of the Detroit Journalism Summer Camp, run by The Detroit Writing Room in partnership with Planet Detroit and Coaching Detroit Forward.