InHealth: Social Media

Good for Plastic Surgeons, Bad for Parents

By Alissa Shulman, M.D, F.A.C.S

I have two daughters, a 13-year old and an 11-year old. The 13-year old has a phone and the 11-year old does not. How does this relate to Plastic Surgery?

Well, social media sites continually interfere with parents’ attempts at child guidance, which has been proven by many studies over the past five years. 

The selfie phenomenon, compounded by one’s sense of self-worth, is being measured by the number of “followers” one has on a site. This has added to the number of young people looking to permanently alter their looks to make them more “photo worthy”.  This leaves me torn between teaching my girls to love themselves just the way they are and my chosen profession, which surgically alters ones’ appearance.

Personal case in point: There was a very beautiful, exotic, and provocatively-posed young lady on my daughter’s phone as her background wallpaper. She is not a personal friend and doesn’t stand for anything, nor does she even promote something useful—i.e. saving mistreated animals or protecting the environment. She is, however, someone my daughter and her friends seem to admire simply for her beauty. This was a painful dose of reality for me. I thought we had raised her to recognize everyone’s own natural beauty and to look beyond the superficial in others, especially since I truly believe we all have our own personal beauty.  Unfortunately, my discovery lead to a loud, tearful discussion, because it was not the first. I follow her on Instagram specifically to keep her safe. 

When I consult with someone regarding cosmetic surgery, I focus on the positive attributes of the prospective patient. If surgery will improve their shape in a manner that is safe, we proceed. However, I discourage those who want surgery so they can simply look better or feel better about themselves—I consider that attitude a “red flag”. That attitude tells me that, most likely, no amount of surgery will be enough. They need to find their sense of self-worth and want to enhance who they are.

For now, my younger daughter enjoys just being 11 and knows she is beautiful. Despite the phone incident, my older daughter knows she is strong and beautiful as well. Unfortunately, I also know that it is very difficult for young women to navigate middle school and high school and come out totally unscathed. 

Alissa Shulman, M.D, F.A.C.S

Sovereign Plastic Surgery

1950 Arlington Street, Suite 112

Sarasota, FL 34239

941.366.5476

sovereignps.com