I recently listened to your speech on the modern conception of beauty and how it is deeply troubling our younger generation. It resonated with me strongly.
As a college teacher for over thirty years, I have had the opportunity to observe young people across more than three generations. What I see today is profoundly disturbing. Modern media, especially advertisements, relentlessly project an extremely narrow ideal of beauty — one that is glamorous, stylish, and physically perfect. They present such individuals as the only “super humans” worthy of admiration and a good life. Scholars, thinkers, champions of intellect, or artists are almost never celebrated in the same way.
The message is loud and clear: a person’s worth lies primarily — even solely — in their body and appearance. The mind, intelligence, character, and inner depth are pushed into the background. This constant bombardment is creating a dangerous obsession with beauty and style among our youth, leading to anxiety, low self-worth, and a shallow understanding of human value.
Your articulation of this crisis was both timely and necessary. I believe we need to counter this superficial narrative more vigorously through literature, education, and public discourse.
Thank you for speaking this truth with clarity and courage.
Janardanan.
