Physical appearance Impacts Student's Self-esteem

Physical appearance Impacts Student's Self-esteem. photo credit: Emma Matthews @unsplash

Physical appearance Impacts Student's Self-esteem | Healthbiztips

@healthbiztips by Arlene Gentallan | psychology blog

A research reveals that student's physical appearance has a tremendous impact on their self-esteem. Looks matter so much that it out-weights academic performance in delivering happiness to the student.

Of course, schools are institutions designed to inculcate new skills and information. It's where you study hard, do school projects, cram on take-home assignments, and endure classes, to which in return, they pay you with metamorphic salary, in the form of intangible grades.

Of course, these "wages" students take home to their parents are important as it certainly does have tangible impact on their old folk's view of their child's present and future prospect.

Grades, in turn, especially when it's really good can build a child's positive self-esteem, but do you know that there is another thing that can give these young people true self-love?

In a school setting, there is a quality that can be far superior than grades in boosting a student's self-esteem--it's physical appearance. Looks matter. If you think about it, it's not that surprising that you value yourself based on how well you look. Heck, even just a single pimple can ruin self-confidence, especially when it's centerpiece.


What is self-esteem?

Each person has a degree to which they value their self, that is what we call self-esteem. A positive self-esteem can be the very thing which makes you love yourself when all the other's don't...well, apart from narcissism.

So, if we want to build a genuine self-confident person, self-esteem is the worst thing to neglect. Sure, focusing on your looks may seem like a superficial reason to love yourself more, but there's no doubt that it is indeed a very good reason.



In fact, a study reveals that a student's self concept of physical appearance has a greater impact than academic performance in having a positive self-esteem, especially among girls. Academic standing and interpersonal bonds still has huge bearing in a student's self-esteem, but this research shows how self-image surpass both.

So, now that we know how a student perceive his or her physical appearance strongly affects self-esteem, should we go about questioning the weird uniform, strict school-approved outfits, or the no-make up policy certain academic institutions have in place?

This is a complicated matter. School policies about grooming and proper attire may have reasonable justifications. For example, schools enforce certain rules to avoid certain kind of foreseeable problems. Often, when a child voices out concern about certain school policies, it is taken by the school as a sign of insubordination that challenges their institution's rules. But, in my experience, I find it helpful when the student council or parents intervene by talking to those encharge of the school.


For years, it has been told that school is a place of learning, but it does have a great influence on shaping one's attitude and perception.


Self-esteem that's reliant upon physical appearance can be the reason why a student persists in wearing lip gloss during class. It is the underlying cause of how a pimple can bring down one's confidence. It's why a nice uniform can make you feel good about yourself. It's why you feel ridiculous underneath that baggy uniform.


Resource:

Baudson, Tanja G et al. “More Than Only Skin Deep: Appearance Self-Concept Predicts Most of Secondary School Students' Self-Esteem.” Frontiers in psychology vol. 7 1568. 18 Oct. 2016, doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01568