Do beauty pageants still matter? Gen-Z redefines what beauty means today

With the Miss Universe pageant set to take place on November 21 in Thailand conversations around beauty representation and empowerment are once again in the spotlight Once seen as a global stage for confidence and glamour beauty pageants now face questions about whether they truly reflect modern ideals of inclusivity and authenticityFor GenZ a generation shaped by social media individuality and selfawareness the meaning of beauty is evolving fast Confidence and purpose often outweigh conventionally perfect looks But opinions remain divided on whether pageants still serve as empowering spaces or outdated relics of another eraYoung voices across diverse fields mdash from fashion to psychology and the LGBTQ community tell midday what beauty and representation mean to them todayVedika Garje 24 Fashion designerI believe beauty pageants can still be powerful platforms where women empower other women They go beyond physical beauty offering a space to showcase talent inspire others and redefine what true beauty means Itrsquos about confidence purpose and authenticity more than appearance When women uplift each other through such platforms it creates a ripple effect of inspiration and strength True beauty shines brightest not through fabric or fashion but through selfbeliefSharvari Ayare 24 Social media managerI think beauty pageants are still relevant but their meaning has changed over time Today they are more about individuality confidence and social impact which makes them more inclusive than before though there is still progress to be made As a kid I always dreamt of being in one it represented confidence and the idea of being celebrated for who you areAman Gajjewar 26 Accounts controllerI will be honest I do think beauty pageants are losing their relevance maybe because it has become a weird beauty contest and has lost so much of what made it great These contests are regressive and surely the world needs to move on I think the pageant industry needs to go back to being mostly owned operated and controlled by women because it is indeed a platform for women to be uplifted and carry a standard for all of them We have entered an era where energy and originality matter more than aesthetic symmetry people are craving depth substance and soul resonance so itrsquos not enough to just look beautiful you have to really be it because the new currency is authenticity and the new seduction is kindnessTanushree 24 Counselling PsychologistBeauty pageants arenrsquot as relevant today but whatrsquos replaced them is arguably more dangerous ie the constant stream of trends on social media From the Clean Girl aesthetic and That Girl trend to the Siren Eyes Face Symmetry and Glow Up challenges these create subtle unspoken rules about whatrsquos considered attractive or desirable People start measuring themselves against filters and hypercurated highlight reels without even realising itItrsquos no longer about competing for a crown rather itrsquos about chasing validation through likes and comparisons Over time this quiet everyday competition can distort onersquos body image lower selfworth and make confidence feel conditional on how well you fit into someone elsersquos version of beautyYohann Jadhav 20 student and painterdesignerYes I feel beauty pageants still matter today since itrsquos a platform for women to express themselves on an individual level which the fashion industry might not provideHowever as an LGBTQ individual I come from a thought process of diversity and inclusivity and what Irsquove been noticing for a while is an emerging trend that I call lsquotolerable inclusivityrsquo Itrsquos not a recognised term but itrsquos definitely something that has been going on in the beautyrelated industryTolerable inclusivity refers to showcasing representation of diverse social groups ethnicities and genders but in an unfair manner People seem to have a lsquotolerabilityrsquo of how much inclusivity can be shownFor instance a model on a runway show was presented as plussize but she still had a toned stomach and hourglass figure mdash an inauthentic representation of real plussize beauty Similarly a Northeastern friend of mine was rejected by a beauty pageant casting team for lsquonot looking Northeastern enoughrsquo And of course the recent case of Mexican contestant Faacutetima Bosch being called lsquodumbrsquo by a Korean organiser shows how racism still lingers in these spacesItrsquos sad that we have so many conversations about inclusivity and diversity but still refuse to implement it in industries where it matters the mostWhile some see pageants as evolving spaces for expression and advocacy others believe their relevance is fading in an era that values authenticity over appearance As Miss Universe 2025 approaches one thing stands out clearly Gen Zrsquos definition of beauty goes far beyond the crown