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How dangerous are beauty ideals for children?

Pretty privilege is unfortunately not just a buzzword: beautiful people often have it easier in life. But does our society's obsession with beauty also have to affect children? Through social media, not only adults and young people, but increasingly also children are constantly exposed to images of unrealistic body ideals.

Children in particular are not necessarily aware that images of people are often manipulated through perspective, lighting or clever make-up and that they are also heavily edited. This can lead to a distorted self-image and increase the pressure to conform to unattainable ideals. And then there is peer pressure, which is reinforced by likes, shares and comments and often goes hand in hand with bullying - a dangerous mix for a developing psyche.

How do you assess the influence of beauty ideals in our society on children? What role do you think platforms such as Instagram or TikTok play in spreading these ideals? How could children be empowered so that they are not influenced by unrealistic body images? Do you know of any positive examples of how to deal with beauty ideals? Let us know in the comments!