A Generation Y Hooked on the Web and Eager for Perfection
In 2022, Instagram had over 22 million monthly users in France. Posts, shares, and viral content abound. The digital environment (TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram) has ravaged the minds and attention of a youth in search of role models and perfection. While some make the leap excessively, obsessively undergoing cosmetic surgery, others prefer gentler methods and aesthetic treatments in moderation. Especially in Paris, the city of fashion and style, where the latest beauty trends are all the rage on every street corner.
It is hard not to be tempted by innovative and effective treatments that enhance features during a time when self-esteem heavily relies on the perceptions of others. If the adolescent phase is well resolved, Millennials are born into an era where the significance of image has grown alongside them. Finding one's place in society is not so simple, and the cult of beauty is very much alive. If beauty remains highly subjective and evolving, standards impose themselves with force and noise, sometimes!
Towards an Assumed Pursuit of Beauty
They embrace it. While previous generations tended to hide any enhancements for fear of judgement or out of simple vanity, Millennials openly express their beauty desires today. Although women are more prevalent in aesthetic centres, men are not far behind. An increasing number are visiting beauty or aesthetic salons to enhance their appearance.
While everyone knows that the images from advertisements that make us dream are edited, visuals on social media do not carry this obligation. Filters still have a bright future ahead to create fantasies for online enthusiasts. The important thing remains to find the right balance: opting for a few accepted and moderate enhancements. Surely, this is the key to preserving one's physical uniqueness and feeling better in one's skin.
