4 in 10 teen girls unhappy with her appearance

Posted on : 2007-01-24 14:24 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
Plastic surgery viewed as solution by many, study shows

A high school student, Yu Na-yeong, 18, shot an 18-minute drama called "Michuhwanmong" ahead of graduation. It is the story of a girl worrying over the fact that she has "single-lidded" eyes, or without a crease in the lids when she opens them fully.

In Korea, it is often thought that "double eyelids" improves one’s appearance, in emulation of the shape of Western eyes.

Yu had watched the mainstream movie "200 Pound Beauty" with some of her friends. In the movie, an obese woman was reborn into a beauty after undergoing full-body plastic surgery. Then she managed to reconcile with the "past" and succeeded in work and love. About the movie, Yu commented, "The movie has received some favorable criticism that it does a good job of addressing the social problem of an appearances-first attitude, but I felt that it encouraged plastic surgery."

For young girls, plastic surgery is not extreme, said Yu. It is considered natural that teenage girls would undergo a surgery to obtain "double eyelids," she explained.

Yu continued, "After taking the college entrance examination, many girls got plastic surgery, at least to get double eyelids. Teenage girls have a strong desire to overcome their appearance-related complexes, instead of valuing their individuality."

The Korean Womenlink, a women’s rights organization, conducted a survey of 1,648 South Korean female middle and high school students about how they evaluated their appearance. According to the survey, just one out 10 respondents, or 13.7 percent, was satisfied with their appearance. About 43.6 percent, or 718 girls, were totally unhappy about theirs.

The girls surveyed were not opposed to plastic surgery. Almost 76.8 percent, or 73 girls, out of those who were not entirely satisfied with their appearance said that they also wanted to get surgery. Asked when they are made to think that appearance is important, about 40.4 percent, the largest portion of respondents, replied that it is when people are discriminated against due to their appearance. Nearly 23.7 percent replied that they understood that appearance counts when they see entertainers that have succeeded thanks to their looks.

Regarding the question, "How important is appearance for me, on a scale from 1 to 100?" up to 95 percent of respondents gave answers higher than 50 points.

According to Jeong Eun-ji of the Korean Womenlink, teenagers are judged by their teachers, parents, and brothers and sisters based on their appearance, and it is the same when they are looking for part-time jobs. Discrimination by appearance happens to all age groups, she said. Women’s studies scholars worldwide have repeatedly warned that society has "almost violently" forced women to alter their appearance from the beginning of the 20th century, she said.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]

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