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Our Brains Were Not Meant to See So Many Beautiful People
Today, media constantly bombards us with images of perfect looks. Every interaction — whether a scroll, a swipe, or a click — presents us with images of stunning beauty, from celebrities to social media influencers.
But can our brains handle this non-stop flood of beauty? No. Our evolutionary history did not prepare our brains for such frequent encounters with exceptional beauty, a reality that changes our psychological state, altering our view of normal and affecting our self-esteem and relationships.
Historically, humans grew up in small, stable communities where they saw a narrow range of looks, which closely matched the average person’s face. Such environments supported a realistic understanding of beauty that grew naturally from daily social interactions.
In sharp contrast, today’s media-filled environment overwhelms us with a continuous flow of exceptionally good-looking, often digitally-improved faces and bodies, creating unrealistic beauty ideals with wide-reaching psychological and social effects.
Our constant exposure to these beauty examples establishes a high, often unreachable beauty standard. This situation spawns a contrast effect…
