Al-Jazirah

FOR every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The spread of electronic media has social ramifications that are hard to predict. Technology is a double-edged weapon.

Seeking perfection by looking at the achievements of people seen on social media could end up with dangerous consequences. Lately we have developed some kind of obsession with our appearance, sending more and more people to the cosmetic surgeons.

This obsession is an international phenomenon. Cosmetic surgery has become a behavioral addiction emanating from psychological compulsions that make the victim wanting to constantly change his or her appearance.

This addiction is now widespread among both men and women, more so among women. Saudi Arabia ranked first in the Arab world and third internationally for cosmetic procedures.

We see many women visiting beauty clinics regularly until they become obsessed. This is especially true after the improvement of the financial situation of women following their entry into the labor market in force. This has also increased the level of their public exposure, raising the pressure on them to look smart.

In addition, the price of cosmetic procedures has become affordable.

Many of the disfigured faces and physical distortions that we see today are the result of a thriving business that promotes plastic surgery. This calls for a campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of non-essential plastic surgery. People should realize that it is a business that takes advantage of their lack of self-confidence and the ability to trust in themselves.

Being addicted to these surgeries does not only disfigure the face and body, but it will also have an impact on the level of cognition. It means you are no longer able to differentiate between what is natural or what is fake, and what is beautiful or what is ugly. People can no longer differentiate between enhancing procedures and enlargement procedures like a lip lift or breast augmentation.

Those who are constantly visit beauty clinics do not achieve the perfection they have in mind about themselves after all the different procedures they go through.

As many studies have shown, it is not a matter of changing how you look, it is in fact a psychological disorder. After all, the most attractive people in the world are not the happiest ones.

The cure to this addiction is in cognitive behavioral therapy, which has proved its effectiveness in treating many such disorders.

Cognitive therapy helps patients understand and overcome negative thoughts that caused them feel less confident or unsafe. It helps patients to behave realistically and brings them contentment while interacting with society.

In the middle ages, the Chinese used to bind together the feet of little girls so that they don›t get bigger. This was because small feet were considered a sign of beauty in the Chinese culture. Of course, the habit affected negatively the way the girls walked and stood up when they grew up.

With this deep obsession with cosmetic procedures, I fear the next generations will despise our cosmetic culture when science proves their serious consequences.