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THE BEAUTY OF AGING (DESPITE LIVING IN AN AGEIST SOCIETY)

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The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UC Berkeley chapter.

In an age where Botox, plastic surgery, and rigorous anti-aging skincare routines have become the norm, the fear of aging has become even more commonplace among women. Of course, the fear of aging isn’t a new phenomenon. However, the creation of social media has made it so that we’re not only bombarded with anti-aging products in television commercials and magazine ads; we now see anti-aging products and procedures constantly promoted on social networking sites like TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. 

This type of content is not only targeted at women in their thirties, forties, and fifties, as it once was. Shockingly, I’ve seen many videos of women as young as their late teens and early 20s getting Botox and plastic surgery. 

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not against plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures. I think that if a person desires to change something about themselves and has put careful thought into it, they should do what their heart desires. However, I think that social media has made it so that women who otherwise wouldn’t get plastic surgery or cosmetic procedures are now getting work done because they feel pressured to do so. 

I’ve seen videos of women in their early 20s getting Botox because they want to “prevent wrinkles from forming later on.” Beautiful women on social media (who, in many cases, have on heavy makeup and filters) are convincing perfectly attractive women that they’re not good enough. As a result, there are videos of very young women getting surgeries like Brazilian butt lifts and breast enhancements performed on their bodies (bodies that have yet to even fully develop). I think this is a problem, as society is continuing to teach women that our only value lies in our youth and beauty.

Even though most of us here are young and still in college, there will come a time when we’re no longer young. This is inevitable, of course, and it’s very important for women to know that our value doesn’t diminish as we age, despite what society may say. Although our smile lines may reveal themselves more, and our breasts may no longer perk up the way they used to, generally speaking, our confidence increases as we get older. 

“It’s very important for women to know that our value doesn’t diminish as we age.”

Tahlia White

We’re more sure of ourselves, and we have less fear when it comes to communicating our thoughts and desires with others. We become wiser, as we’ve lived through different experiences and have come across different types of people, so our knowledge and judgment on navigating the world improves. Additionally, our mental health tends to get better as we age, as we learn that worrying and fixating on the little things is a waste of time. Overall, studies show that the older women get, the happier they become. 

There is beauty in aging despite us constantly being bombarded with the opposite message. As someone who once adamantly expressed my fear of getting older, I no longer feel this way; my views on aging have completely changed. Constantly fearing something that’s inevitable for all of us seems irrational and like a waste of time.

In an age where we’re constantly besieged with videos and images of beautiful, seemingly perfect women, it can be easy for young women to feel pressured into taking extreme measures to change their physical appearance to maintain their youthful beauty. However, at the end of the day, aging is inevitable. Rather than holding a pessimistic view of aging, women should learn to embrace and appreciate getting older; it means they have lived a long and fulfilling life. Hence, they have more to offer to the world. 

Tahlia White

UC Berkeley '24

Tahlia is a senior studying Global Studies and Public Policy at UC Berkeley and will be graduating in Spring 2024. She enjoys writing lifestyle articles and about ways in which young women can optimize their college experience. She is interested in beauty, fashion, politics, and history. When she is not writing, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, hiking, watching movies, and trying out new restaurants.