This photograph by Meg Gaiger is extremely powerful and sobering to those who view it. This image portrays a little girl gazing down at images of what society claims is the ideal women, while holding scissors to her baby fat. Society makes women conform. Women are constantly under a microscope, having their tiniest flaws examined and exploited. The increased use of social media, such as Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat, puts the pressure on young girls to post the perfect picture. If their social media isn’t perfect, they believe that they aren’t perfect. Beauty shouldn’t be measured in the amount of likes someone gets on their social media posts, it’s much deeper than that. The photographs the young girl surrounds herself with make her feel unworthy and ugly simply because she is not like these women. This connects with the pressure from social media because young girls are being bombarded with photos of these “perfect” women. This frequently results in girls going to extreme and unhealthy measures to achieve their looks. It is easy to tell that this photo depicts the pressures of society through the use of colors, facial expressions, posture, and strategic photos of models, used to expose the insecurity brought about by society and the pressure brought upon women to be perfect. 

 The colors used in this image are extremely powerful because it truly shows how corruptive society can be to even the youngest, purest in our world. The contrast between the light and dark colors used in this image portray the common belief that the grass is truly greener on the other side. This young girl believes that the models in the pictures she’s surrounded by have it all. She believes if she looks like them, then she will find happiness. The paleness of the young girl’s skin is representative of her pure innocence. It serves as a reminder of her youth and purity. Being as young as she is, she should be free from the corruption of labels and expectations from society. However, the duller colors highlight how the girl is truly feeling as she obsesses over these pictures. The lackluster colors that the young girl and her background are made up of, also directly contrast with the sleek and brighter colors of the models in the surrounding photographs, especially. The background and photo appear almost dirty or dusty, like there is a layer of grim glossed over the little girl. Aside from her light skin tone, everything is dimmed and dark. The models are seen dressed in sleek, cool clothing which fit well and show off the fitness of the model. One of the photographs pictures a model with bright golden hair, a polar opposite from the girl’s dull, dark brown hair color. The background of the photo in the young girl’s lap is much brighter and more interesting than the girls own background. Once again providing the evidence that this little girl, as well as the rest of society, are lead to believe the models have carefree lives because of their beauty, figures, and possessions.

The use of facial expression in this picture give the image more depth and is essential in working out the true meaning and symbolism. The young girl’s facial expression appears almost shameful, which immediately sets the tone for the entire photo. The girl looks down upon her body, still yet to develop and grow, in an almost sheepish and shameful way. There’s an element of defeat etched into her wrinkle-free face as she attempts to solve what she views as a setback. This goes to show how much these images effect our youth and how corruptive it can be to a young person’s mind. The shadows on her face emphasize the girl’s disappointment in herself, and her clear desire to look like the women in those photographs. Though she does not have a frown, her mouth is taut and firm. These are signs of dissatisfaction and disappointment, something a girl as young as herself should not have to worry about. Even if the scissors were not in this image, her facial expression makes it obvious how the girl truly feels after looking through the different photographs of “perfect” models. 

Posture plays a big role in this image, as well, and it coordinates with facial expression. The young girl is slumped over, her shoulders are hunched and her head is down. The child is trying to close in on herself and hide her “ugly” image and body from the world. Her head hanging down emphasizes her insecurities and shows how ashamed she must feel. However, the models that are in this image exude confidence with their powerful stances. One model is in an elaborate pose, but she doesn’t appear to feel silly. Her photo captures viewers’ attention and she appears proud and satisfied that others are looking at her in envy. The little girl seems to believe that if she could get rid of her insecurities and look like the women in her pictures, then she too will hold her head high and find joy in being the center of other’s attention. 

These photographs of models are scattered all over the floor the young girl is sitting on. It is extremely likely that these pictures have been further edited to make the models appear in a way no one ever truly could. The models photos have been altered and warped to make other women feel inferior to them. It is clear to see that this message has passed onto the young girl, as she believes she needs to look like these women in order to be beautiful, successful, and worthy of people’s time. The models in these photographs have blonde, glossy hair, stylish clothes, and healthy, fit bodies. This is very much unlike the young girls mostly bare, chubby body, which is, in a way, accented but her long, unkempt brown hair. This picture truly drags the reader back to reality when they see the girl gripping the scissors because it is obvious this is what she thinks will solve her problems. This young girl is being taught to hate her body and appearance because it shows the same type of woman in every picture. 

Society’s warped idea of beauty and feminism plague the minds of people everywhere, specifically females. This picture is evidence that even those as young as the girl seen in this photograph are effected by what society deems “perfect”. This image truly anchors the viewers. It makes them stop and truly think about what the children in our world are being taught about beauty and appearances. An image like this deserves to be seen internationally in order to truly show the world the disgusting way society makes women feel about themselves. The insecurities of women provided by societies expectations make women feel as though they are in competition with one another and the media often encourages women pitting other women against each other. 
