IELTS essay about people wanting to look younger
Essay topic
Many people try to look younger than they really are. What are the reasons for that? Is it a positive or negative development?
Sample essay
These days, no one wants to look their age. Actually, we are so madly in love with eternal youth that we try every trick in the book to look younger and more attractive. In my opinion, this trend has both positive and negative aspects.
A lot of factors have encouraged people to pursue eternal youth. Marketing is the most important of them. We are now living in the age of information explosion. Every second we are getting bombarded with images of good looking men and women who never seem to age. They are everywhere – on the billboards, in the newspapers, on television and the internet. There is no escaping them. Marketers, especially those working in the beauty industry, are responsible for creating the impossible beauty standards that we struggle to live up to. Everyone wants to look like the model on the billboard or the TV commercial. Needless to say people are spending huge amounts of money on cosmetics and other beauty treatments. Procedures like Botox have become household names.
Of course, this trend has some positive effects. When people become conscious of their looks, they start paying attention to their body and its needs. They make a conscious effort to eat well. This improves their overall health. Good looks may also improve their confidence.
On the flip side, impossible beauty standards also develop inferiority complex in people who cannot attain them. A lot of us overlook the fact that the models in commercials are actually photoshopped to look younger and prettier. By aspiring to look like them, we aren’t doing ourselves any service. Also, some products that we apply on our skin and hair have serious side effects. Unfortunately, in the mad rush to look younger, we ignore the side effects of many beauty treatments.
To conclude, the concepts of beauty and aging have changed over the years. Today, no one believes in aging gracefully. Impossible beauty standards are the creation of marketers and visual media has helped in their massive adoption. While this trend isn’t completely bad, it has some serious repercussions.