There has been a drastic increase in the production and usage of fairness products, all of which claim to make a person fairer and supposedly, more beautiful. All media of mass communication; be it electronic or print are promoting and airing these fairness products and thus indirectly supporting the notion that fairness is the reason for beauty. In most of the advertisements, it can be seen how the fair one is always popular while the dark one weeps pathetically in a corner. Or worse, how people recruit fairer girls to promote beauty products.

While fairness products have been available in the market for quite a while now, they had been limited to few selected ones. Of late, the scenario is changing as every company associated with the production of cosmetics has caught hold of the fairness mania, realizing that it has great revenue since every person runs to try out any fairness product that comes out. Almost all the leading brands in cosmetics boast of a variety of products that make one fairer in a matter of weeks. However, the harsh reality is that these products are not only useless but they also cause harmful side effects due to excessive usage. This was once limited only to women but the fairness craze seems to have trapped even men, with reputed companies manufacturing fairness products for men as well. Though people from all ages, races, nationalities have always been fascinated by fairer complexions, it can now be believed that this fascination is turning into a worldwide obsession. Nobody knows how all this began but fairer people, especially women, have been considered more beautiful than their darker counterparts.

What cannot be understood is whether the obsession and the hype leads to an increase in production or an increase in production and popularity leads to obsession and hype. It can only be guessed that it is interlinked and is a continuous cycle.

Indians and Africans have always been treated as inferior because of their skin tones. The only difference between now and then is that, before, people were berated by others for their colour whereas now, people berate themselves. This type of racism or bias leads to low self-confidence and negative effect on a person's view about oneself. People, especially young girls, feel pathetic about their complexions, leading to depression and even suicide attempts, which is extremely shocking in the present generation which claims to be mature and educated, and a world which is now being called "MODERNIZED".

Will there ever come a time when this bias will stop and when people realize that fairness is not the only reason for beauty? Because, what is in a colour?

Isn't it just a color?

More than the ones who are prejudiced, it's the "victims" who are so self-critical who need to change. They need to realize that there is nothing wrong in being dark and should accept themselves the way they are because it's only when you respect and love yourself that others will do the same because any kind of change starts within oneself first.