I set out this past weekend to conduct my second social experiment. With all of our residents out and about enjoying the spring sun, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity. What happened, however, showed me that I was going to receive different results than what I thought would receive.
Looking back at the past month, I have focused on the topic of beauty. This is something that heavily affects our young women and girls in particular, as they are the most impressionable age and gender group. They are pressured into believing by advertising and other peers that makeup and body modification is not only encouraged, but expected. Doing these things will make you more attractive to men, better competition for other women, etc. How does all of this affect our young girls? My experiment this week was taken from a high school project by a young woman from Chicago High School of the Arts. She very simply would state to her peers on camera that she was compiling video footage of things she finds beautiful. A second or two would pass in silence before the genuine reaction appeared. Almost every girl was taken aback by the statement, surprised that one of their female peers would consider them beautiful. When her statement was put in front of her male peers, they were immediately flattered, and not surprisingly asked for her phone number. This experiment subtly shows every individual’s self esteem level by the way they react. The surprised and thankful reactions likely indicate a lower level of self-esteem.
I wanted to bring this concept to our own streets to see how our residents react. However, out of all the places in Yorkton, I only had five females and one male participate. I have to say that I’m disappointed in the lack of participation, but it did tell me something. What I conclude from this experiment is that Yorktonites are off in their own world. That is to say that they could care less about what is going on, because they are focused on things that matter to them; focused on their own lives.
While this experiment worked out beautifully for a high school, out here in the prairie city of Yorkton, we live our own lives, caring about what we want to care about without the influence of our peers or the media.
How do you feel about these results? What are your opinions on the beauty and media industries of today?
If you haven’t already, get involved in the conversation on my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/inside.my.head.michaela.miller/.
Keep reading each week for new insights, and keep your eyes peeled for experiments happening around town!
