Profiting on Insecurities

There are multiple multi-billion and trillion dollar industries that make a lot of their money based on one thing: ​

You feeling bad about yourself 

(and believing that buying their product will help you feel better).

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​Let's go through a few quick examples.

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Beauty Industry

Worth: $600-$670 billion

Strategy: Take anything natural, turn it into a flaw, make products or procedures to 'correct' or 'improve' the flaw.

Examples: body hair, aging, cellulite, stretch marks, body fat, natural hair, wrinkles, natural lip, chest, bum and body sizes, etc.

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Strategy: Use Photoshop, face and body filters, heavy editing to create an inhuman standard to fuel insecurity - especially in young girls, who are about to become lifetime consumers.

The beauty standard changes (sometimes even multiple times in one decade), which creates a never-ending cycle of consumption to chase an "ideal" that cannot be achieved. What doesn't change is the internet and ads full of airbrushed and filtered images and videos, leading to the path of constant comparison, not feeling good enough, and self-criticism.

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Strategy: Normalize plastic surgery for everyone, especially young people. Make people fear aging and getting older - increase insecurity and tap into it to make money.

The plastic surgery industry has ballooned from $35 billion in the early 2000s to over $72 billion in 2024.​

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Fashion Industry

Worth: Over $1 trillion

Strategy: Make having the newest and trendiest clothes one of the top status signals (especially in young people) and a

social insecurity

Micro-trends are a new phenomenon, with an even shorter cycle than regular trends. These instant trends and limited-edition collections create a sense of urgency, so consumers feel forced to buy immediately to avoid being "out of style". If you buy into this idea, the resulting feeling will be a constant pressure to be constantly purchasing more and more in order to 'fit in'.​

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Strategy: Use models with unrealistic body standards (in terms of weight, plastic surgery, editing, etc.)

When you see product photos of models with unachievable bodies (unless you are a professional model, who may have had surgery), you may want to purchase the clothes because you aspire to have the clothes look that way on you, or to have that body type. 

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There's nothing wrong with wanting to feel beautiful and liking how you look. You don't have to give up this desire when you reject attempts from society to profit from your insecurities.

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The problem lies in the use of manipulation for profit. Companies amplify your insecurities, show you false images and unrealistic expectations. They want you to feel not good enough so you will PAY for their products. It's bad enough that companies are intensifying insecurities, especially in young people, through their marketing--but the worst part is that they are making money from it.

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Some practical tips to minimize harm from this societal issue:

• Digital Detox: Minimize time on your devices (phones, tablets, TVs). Disengage from social media, scrolling, and comparing. Take a breather from shopping and window shopping. Go outside, do an analog hobby, do something relaxing like stretching or yoga, or read a book instead.​

• Routine Check: Go through the products you buy regularly. Ask yourself - first, does each product actually do what it claims (e.g. fixing whatever flaw)? Did you buy it because you felt insecure about something? What would happen if you stopped buying it? 
  Reducing what you buy can feel freeing, and the upside is, you save money which you can use for something more enjoyable.

• Embrace Natural: Try going makeup-free, keeping your natural hair, and not explicitly hiding any perceived 'flaws'. Embrace your natural beauty and insecurities!

• Digital Cleanse: Unfollow (or block, for the worst ones) any accounts/content that makes you feel less-than, insecure or not good enough. Unfollow unhealthy standards, people promoting surgery and hundreds of unnecessary beauty products, clothes, etc. Social media can easily turn into a trap where you feel worse and worse. Say no--and cleanse your feed. Try to limit your following to people (/brands) that inspire you and make you feel good about yourself.​

• Remember this Truth: Much of what you see online isn't real or attainable. Even celebrities and influencers don't look like they do in posed and edited pictures. (If in doubt - look up videos on the tricks influencers, celebrities, fitness influencers, etc. use to look a certain way). If you want to learn more, check out videos from people like Stephanie Lange.