Can't Take a Step Forward Without Taking a Step back!

   Everything we do today relates back to the past. When it comes to the government, their decision making is based off of previous laws to make new ones. Also, same apply to judges. Judges look at the previous court cases to help determine the ultimate decision for the current case. Therefore, it is a necessity for me to go into details about the history of degradation of women.

   Social media such as: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Snap chat did not exist back in the 1800's. Social media instantly became a sensation in the early 2000's and is still flourishing till this day. However, internet, iPhones, Androids, and more advanced technology occurred in the late 1960's. Consequently, it is completely unfair to blame social media for direct blame for degradation of women in present today. We MUST evaluate the past.

  Back in the early 1820's, the belief was called separate spheres or formally known as cult of domesticity. Men were supposed to be the "breadwinner" of the family. Then, women were forced to stay at home, cook dinner, and take of their children, Instantly, this type of behavior is ingrained with today's society for SOME females. Some females are dependent on men instead of focusing on their goals. This not only hurt the standards of the total representation of females, but it also creates the common stereotypes to this day.  For example, females are only made to look pretty; more of a showcase of her beauty instead of her accomplishments and personality. Another stereotype is "go back to the kitchen and make me a sandwich." This straight blatant disrespect still resides with some men and female in our present. This type of language, expressions, and dialogue only degrades women. How can a female be expected to be more if they are being treated like less? Think about it! Women never received equal pay due to the ideology that was mention before. That is why women with the same occupation as a male will still get paid less due to the discrimination of the past.

  In conclusion, to tie everything together, degradation of women on social media exists today because of the previous laws, actions, and beliefs that were set in the past. For example, some women on social media have a desire to reveal more skin and less clothes on their photos. Women in the past were easily being degraded but social media makes it more noticeable to the public's eye. So, when a female reveals more skin, it is usually to feel more accepted by the men and her peers. In the past, if the female violated the belief of the cult of domesticity, then they were to get punished. So, that is why some women feel the desire to fit in with the typical nude less selfies to be accepted rather than be ostracized for being an oddity. Therefore, we can definitely blame social media for the degradation of women, but it will be completely false if we think that the past does not have any relevancy with degradation.

The Usage of Filters and Photo-shop

    The next topic I want to explore in the Degradation of Women in social media is the use of photo-shop and filters. Why do women on social media use filters so much? Why are women photo-shopping their photos so excessively? Is it because the picture actually needs enhancement? Or does it relate back to the female feeling like she isn't good enough?

     The standards and expectations men set on women are unbearable. Men are now looking for women with a slim waist and a curvy body, an infallible face, and flawless skin tone. Flawless skin tone means no bumps, no pimples, no scars, no scratches, or nothing containing any damage of the skin. Because of this, women are pressured into being part of a facade that involves perfection, which isn't obtainable. But if men are looking for perfection, how can it be met? Photo-shop. Photo-shop can make someone that is 180 pounds look 90 pounds in 5 minutes. Photoshop can erase all of the pimples and scars a person has, photo-shop can change the structure of a person face, body structure, and more features, and most importantly, photo-shop can change a person's individuality. Women are losing a sense of identity when using these filters and photo-shop. They are afraid of being themselves because of scrutiny and non-acceptance for who they are. Filters are just as worse. Filters can change a person's entire complexion.

   This is unacceptable. But women are not only using filters and photo-shop for men, they are also using these methods for other women as well. Females judge other females for minor features; for example, nails, hair, picture poses, clothes, shoes, and more other aesthetics. If a female is lacking in one of these features, it is easy for the female to become mocked since she is not conforming to men's and women's expectations. That is why an average female try so hard to take the right picture, find the right outfit, and pose the best way to prevent ridicule. They are looking for acceptance. However, by doing so, women are not being themselves. So, filters and photo-shop are mentally degrading women since it is embedded in making a female look better. It is quite rare to find a picture of a female without filters and photo-shop since it is ingrained in our society to apply these methods to enhance beauty.
 
  Wouldn't you feel belittled if someone ostracized you for the way you look? That is why females attempt to use filters to prevent negative criticism. Consequently, by applying these filters, it is not YOU! You are pretending to be someone you not! Females lost self value. They forgot what natural beauty is because social media is very deceitful on persuading females their perspective of beauty. Social media is fictitious when defining beauty. Their definition of beauty is completely degrading of women. However, females are completely oblivious and not aware of how spurious social media is. Its upsetting. How can we create a solution if people do not even know that a problem exists?

Degradation of Women: Introduction

    As a disclaimer, it is essential to recognize that degradation of women has already existed before social media became popular. Instead, social media made degradation of women more noticeable and visible.

   The first essential layer of degradation of women on social media is the ideal image of a women social media endorses and promotes.

    On social media, the photos of women expresses the lack of clothes, the appeal of looking sexy, and the desire of attracting men's attention. Because of social media, an average teenager desperately seeks likes for their photos to uplift their self esteem. Social media became so ingrained in people's lives that if a person gets a low amount of likes, despite how beautiful they look, they will still delete the post. This is due to the idea of not meeting men's expectations. After realizing that a smile is not enough to get men to like them, that is when some women start to feel obligated to take selfies that are more revealing than usual. Because of this, this start a trend. Women that are receiving likes for their smiles realize that other females that are more revealing is getting more attention than them. This inspires them to join the trend, and become followers. Now, women are obligated to reveal more skin to be considered sexy.  Before, a smile was all that matters. Now, it is about physical attraction. So, the females that are not trying to fit into society's expectations are deemed as an oddity. Who is to blame for this mindset? Social media. It is despicable. This mindset is only hazardous to the females' perception of what is beautiful and causes men to treat and view women lower than what they are. Because of these images, men view women as sex objects. But can you blame the men if the women are posing in photos with barely any coverage? Can the women be blamed for being oblivious of their actions and not realizing that the reason why men treat women the way they do now is because of their photos welcoming that type of behavior?

  As a male, of course we find photos like this attractive. If a survey was conducted, I am very confident an overwhelming amount will agree with me. On the other hand, how upsetting this is that in order to get other males' attention, women must dress like sex objects. This is unacceptable.  As crazy as it sounds, women actually used to dress like this in the past:

   Major difference right? Her legs are covered, her arms are covered, her torso are covered and even her hands are covered. This is a major transition from the past to current day. Social media takes huge responsibility for this transition. Degrading of women is subliminally on social media. People will not recognize it due to the fact that it has become so normal. However, if people knew the definition of it, which is: treating them like sex objects, then people will realize that these photos only portrays that.

  In conclusion, this is only one layer of degradation of women. There are psychological problems that comes with degrading of women, and more problems. Something must be done. It is time to restore our values again.