We hear sayings like “Looks don't matter; beauty is only skin deep,” yet we live in a decade that contradicts this very notion. If looks don't matter, then why do so many women hurt themselves because they're unhappy with the way they look? If looks don't matter, then why does the media use airbrushing to hide any flaws you have? That's because with the media setting unattainable standards for body perfection, American women have taken drastic measures to live up to these unattainable social expectations. “The construct 'body image' tends to encompass a mixture of self-perceptions, ideas and feelings about one's physical attributes. It is related to the self-esteem and emotional stability of the individual” (Wykes 2). As represented in all aspects of our media, whether through television, the Internet or social media, we are exploited for a look we wish we could have; a toned body, long legs and well-defined sculpted abs. Our society promotes a body image that is “beautiful” and far from the average woman's size 12, not 2. The effects are overwhelming and we need to make more appropriate changes to help women not feel the need to be at the height. to these unrealistic standards that have been self-imposed throughout our society. The simple truth, however, is that things were not always this way. If you take a look back at the 1950s, the iconic sex symbol Marilyn Monroe embodied the typical beauty standard while sporting a size 14. “She was every man's dream girl and every other woman's envy. She was beautiful, charming, and exuded the aura of an angel, or so we hear” (Waters 2). We are constantly evolving our thoughts about what is ideal, and because of this, there is ... middle of paper ... ......ization of the thin ideal and perceptions of attractiveness and thinness in Dove's campaign for true beauty." International Journal of Advertising 29.4 (2010): 643-668. Business Source Premier. Web. February 14, 2014. Gibson, Megan. "NewsFeed." Thinterest When Social Networks and Body Image Collide. Comments . Time.com, March 29, 2012. Web. March 11, 2014. Hass, Cheryl J., et al. “An Intervention for the Negative Influence of the Media on Body Esteem.” Heldman, Caroline “The Sexy Lie: Caroline Heldman at TEDxYouth@SanDiego." YouTube, January 20, 2013. Web. March 13, 2014. Waters, Preston. Elite Daily. Elite Daily, March 2, 2012. Web. February 13, 2014. Wykes, Maggie, and Barrie Gunter. The media and body image: if appearance could kill. London: SAGE, 2005. Print.