7-Year Old Gets Plastic Surgery

          Something you may have heard in the news recently is that a young girl has undergone plastic surgery "to pin back her cup ears and fix a fold on her right ear.". In an interview with the girl, she says she hasn't really been bullied all that much, but her mother claims that there have been other adults who point out her ears with her right there. She says that the surgery is more to "prevent bullying in the future".
          I have a lot of problems with this. Main one being that her parents are essentially teaching her that her appearance is what matters, and that you should change the things that are different about you instead of embracing them. I'm sure that isn't the intent of the parents, but things like this can affect a child for the rest of their life. As can bullying. Which brings me to my next problem with this.
          They assume that with her ears- which are usually covered by her hair anyways- is just going to prevent her from ever being bullied. Sorry honey, it don't work like that. I don't know a single person that hasn't been bullied in their life. People will always find something to pick on and try to make you feel ashamed of. So instead of trying to change yourself for other people, you learn to love and accept your flaws and realize that not everyone is going to like everything about you. I went on a huge rant about how I got bullied for being androgynous, I understand how it's hard and it makes you feel bad, but that's part of growing up. If it won't be her ears, it will just be something else. I'm afraid that this surgery will cause her to think that changing herself so others will accept her is the right thing to do.
          However after all that being said, it's hard not to feel happy for her when she seems so pleased with how her ears look. But honestly I doubt it will always be that way. I mean I don't think this will be THAT huge of a life changing experience for her, she may hardly remember it once she's older, but I do think that there's a big chance of it affecting how she approaches these sort of issues.

         I'm against plastic/cosmetic surgery as a whole, so my opinion is a bit bias. What do you think?


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