World News for Students of English

01-03-2023 15:00

The field of plastic surgery is changing dramatically thanks to shifts in technology and social media.

Since the start of the pandemic, there’s been a surge in the popularity of plastic surgery procedures, and remote meetings and increased time on camera seems to be a huge factor. Cosmetic surgery used to be a tool of the elite; however, it’s now available to everyone. In 2020, there were about 2.3 million cosmetic procedures in the United States worth 16 billion dollars.

Social media’s influence on beauty standards has led to the term ‘Instagram face’ where people start to look more similar thanks to filters, makeup, and plastic surgery. Social media have built-in filters that alter face shape or facial features to fit current beauty trends. This gives users an instant picture of what they might look like, and it helps the filters go viral.

Experts remind us that cosmetic surgery is still surgery, and although it’s very unlikely, the person undergoing plastic surgery can die. They also warn that doctors with less training ditch their chosen profession to perform procedures.

Difficult words: elite (the richest and most powerful group in society), alter (to change), ditch (to not continue with something).

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