In today’s age of glamour and glitz, one can easily fall prey to obsession with one’s looks. The parents may find it extremely hard to convince their growing children that how they look as only a part of their personality. Parents may never know that their teenage sons and daughters have become obsessed with their looks, and that is blocking their overall development process.

What it is?

Before knowing the evils of being obsessed with looks, let us first understand what it actually is. For many people today, beauty is all that matters, and determines their popularity. This encompasses not merely the face, but the entire body. Tees today, especially girls are constantly worried about how they are looking, as they do not want to be looked down upon amongst their peers. Teens feel that if they are not as good looking as the standards set by few of their peers, they will not be welcomed in the group. Fear of unpopularity is making the teenagers today become increasingly materialistic, as they disregard the values and emotions of a person, and judge others and themselves solely on the basis of looks.

As parents, it is your responsibility to keep your child well-groomed at all times. Who will not want their child to look the best? But here the thin line between looking smart and obsessing over looks must not be crossed. Unfortunately, this is not the case today. A lot of this genre of thinking has resulted due to the influence of media, but it is up to the parents to keep their children informed and educated about the ill effects of being obsessed with beauty.

The role of parents:

If a child does not feel good enough in terms of looks in comparison to others, especially his friends, it will have a deep negative impact on his morale. The teens that fall under this category disregard their homework, studies and all other chores, focusing all their attention on trying to look better. This may include losing weight, having a good physique, looking taller or fairer, and much more. However, this is also the time when the child’s education is crucial. Their grades will determine the fate of their higher education. Parents must recognise symptoms like lack of focus, irritability, spending too much time in front of the mirror, or spending a lot of money on cosmetics. This issue must be addressed by parents immediately as it can cause a lot of damage to the child’s personality. Teenage is a time when they should spend their times studying or involving in constructive activities. Parents must advise them that there is a lot more to their lives than looking perfect each minute.

What should be done?
Teens and pre-teens may not realize it right now, but obsessing with beauty could lead to a poor self-image in the later years of their lives. The money spent on expensive haircuts, make-up and several treatments can also make it difficult for them to support themselves financially and emotionally. Teenagers must be strictly prohibited to indulge in such activities which are not suitable for their age. In addition, they must also be given reasons for the same. Engage them in hobbies and give them independence to make their own decisions, but consult you as well, so that they may not fall into wrong practices at a young age. 

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