How social media affects our concept of beauty

Ahead of the Miss America beauty pageant, AOL.com is looking at contemporary views of beauty and how they are shaping the next generation of Americans.​

With the Miss America Pageant airing today, we're taking a look at beauty in America. With that being said, It's no secret that that social media affects our concept of beauty. With social media being more prominent than ever, platforms serve as a means of communication, and oftentimes, that communication revolves around the perceptions and definitions of beauty.

From viral videos of dangerous beauty trends to trending hashtags on Twitter, the social media world plays a large role in how girls view beauty, and on a deeper scale, a role in how girls view themselves.

SEE MORE SPECIAL COVERAGE: A look at how attractiveness affects the workplace

While some social media -- like Dove's beauty campaign -- portrays positive messages about beauty, others create negative stigma around feeling beautiful and defining beauty in today's world.

See the Dove ad below for an example of positive projections of beauty in today's media:

On the other hand, negative and unhealthy perceptions of beauty are often portrayed on social media, too. Nicole Arbour was recently put under fire for a fat-shaming video she posted online titled 'Dear Fat People.'

See the video below:

The "collarbone challenge" for instance, asked people to see how many quarters they could fit in the dips of their collarbones. The tweet below shows an example of the dangerous challenge:



The bellybutton challenge also posed issues, asking people to see if they were skinny enough to reach around their back and towards their stomach to touch their bellybuttons. A Chinese language site claimed that the more coins you can fit in your collarbone, the "sexier and skinnier" you are. Not only is this insane, but it's dangerous and it poses serious health concerns:

In a world where viral beauty trends can turn into big and negative conversations, it's important to promote self love and positivity when it comes to beauty.

What are you doing to spread the love and make others feel beautiful? Let us know in the comments below!

See the gallery below of women on social media who are changing our perception of beauty:

More special coverage of beauty in America:
Are beauty pageants relevant today?
Beauty in sports: Why looks shouldn't come first for female athletes
Hollywood can't decide what the ideal body looks like