The meaning of "beauty"

I chose to write this article because I remember Kumud ma'am saying that the media was totally changing the meaning of the word "beauty".
How many of you spend hours to put on make up and look good? How many of you feel bad because you aren't as good looking as others? How many of you aren't very confident about your body and appearance? As all of us are teenagers here, these thoughts are quite common to us. The teenage life is totally different from what it used to be before the invention of "smartphones". Why? Because be it boredom, celebration or anything else, a "selfie" is a must! 
In our beauty-obsessed culture, every time we open a magazine or turn on the television, we see how far we are from all those actors and models on screen. Why do we do that? Why do we want to compare ourselves from someone who we don't even know personally? Why do we judge ourselves? Even though the society tells us that we're no longer relevant, why is there a need for us to stop feeling beautiful and care-free? Simply put, we are obsessed with beauty and appearance.
But what if true beauty were defined by who we are rather than how we look? And what if we joyfully embrace it everyday? What if it was okay to have flaws and be less-than-perfect?
What I think is, the focus should be removed from our faces and bodies. Instead, all of us should start focusing on our hearts and allow the light in our hearts to shine. I believe each and every person is beautiful. You are beautiful. :)

-Ashika
XII Tulip