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In anticipation of a “Post-Apocalyptic Teen Fiction” panel I’m attending on Thursday (look for a post early next week,) I’ve been catching up on Scott Westerfeld’s “Uglies” series. I’m in the middle of the first book right now and loving it. It’s a long overdue read for me, but if anyone else is behind and hasn’t yet entered the dystopian world of Tally Youngblood where every 16 year-old is required to undergo a major operation to make them “pretty,” consider this a strong recommendation.

“Uglies” offers thought-provoking commentary on a lot of complex issues beyond our cultural standards of beauty, but that central discussion will strike a chord with many teens who struggle with body image issues. Especially the increasing number of those considering or who have already sought out cosmetic surgery as the solution. According to an article published earlier this year in The New York Times:

The latest figures from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery show that the number of cosmetic surgical procedures performed on youths 18 or younger more than tripled over a 10-year period, to 205,119 in 2007 from 59,890 in 1997.

To me, these numbers, which also apparently haven’t been affected by the economic downturn, are less than shocking after growing up in Los Angeles. For all of the caricatures of the city and Beverly Hills in particular as a world of extreme beauty unto itself, the presence of plastic surgery in high school was and continues to be a reality. For some, as early as 14 or 15 years old. And while most of the teens (generally girls) I knew wouldn’t exactly publicize the decision, it wasn’t uncommon for word to get out around school about who had what done. To the point where it was pretty much normalized as mundane gossip. The general consensus, to paraphrase Westerfeld, was that two weeks of whispering and recovery time was worth a lifetime of feeling more secure.

I share this personal prelude because even hearing how disturbing that sounds, I have to admit I’m still conflicted about taking that personal choice  away from teens completely. Depending on age, motivation and the safety risks of a procedure, if an insecurity is crippling enough, my feeling is surgery (along with therapy) should at least be an option. A well-discussed, thoroughly-thought over option. As much as I believe that self-esteem isn’t something to be purchased, and that as a culture we do need to broaden our definitions of beauty to include  crooked noses, big ears and every other so-called imperfection, I can’t shake the feeling “easier said than done.”

It’s one thing to explain to a teen suffering with that degree of self-consciousness that their so-called “imperfection” isn’t actually a problem with how they look, but the distorted perception of society as a whole. Honestly, I think most understand that to be the case. Still, to internalize that belief and develop the level of confidence necessary to  sustain it in the face of mixed messages from the media (i.e., teen mags with “Happy At Any Size” articles next to ads featuring The CW’s uberslim starlets), peers, family among many other factors that reinforce the status quo?  Well, that takes a lot more effort

That, of course, isn’t to say we should stop trying. These issues are starting to take root at an increasingly early age and I’m grateful to the many organizations, campaigns and individuals I’ve come across during my time with Ypulse that are in dogged pursuit of empowering both tweens and teens. All of them, including Westerfeld, bring us one step closer to this wistful thought voiced by Tally:  ”If only people were smarter, evolved enough to treat everyone the same even if they looked different. Looked ugly.”

For more coverage of YA books and publishing, check out the Ypulse Books Channel sponsored by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, publishers of Ash by Malinda Lo

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Categorized under: Books & Print

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