Beauty is commonly defined as the beauty of things that makes these things enjoyable to see. These things may include sunsets, landscapes, humans and artistic works of art. Beauty, along with taste and art, is probably the most significant part of aesthetics, among the largest branches of science. According to recent research, more than six billion people across the globe consider beauty as a very important or fundamental need, which motivates their behavior in a variety of ways.
Beauty is closely tied to the way we feel about ourselves. For example, beauty is often used to evaluate a candidate during a beauty pageant, in the same way that an aesthetically pleasing face would be used to evaluate a candidate for any job. The definition of beauty has changed through time and societal changes, including the evolution of technology, has influenced the way we define beauty in different cultures and arenas. Beauty is not only determined by physical attributes such as hair color or body shape; it is also determined by the emotional responses a person has toward specific stimuli. Emotional beauty is also a major factor in aesthetic appeal, because humans prefer others that they feel comfortable with, be it a parent, a friend or a fashion magazine.
In today’s society, social media has been an important contributor to the increasing global obsession with beauty. Social media allows users to share visual representations of themselves, especially online, which gives immediate access to millions of users worldwide. This mass sharing of visual representations has become a trend in the 21st century, with the rise of the social media website Facebook, as well as other websites that allow users to post pictures and personal advertisements. With the power of social media sites such as Facebook to connect people from all around the world, aesthetics and beauty have reached new levels of significance.