What do you think of when you hear the word “beautiful?” Do you think of a tall woman with a skinny waist, big breasts, make-up and long blond hair? If that’s what you associate with being beautiful you’ve most likely been misguided by the messages and images you see in the media every single day.
As consumers we are bombarded with certain stereotypes and ideas about body image and physical attractiveness that typically have a negative effect on our perceptions and opinions about ourselves.
I recently watched a video called “How the Media You Consume Can Change Your Life” (by LoveSocial + Miss Representation) and immediately began to reflect on how influential the media can be on people’s self-esteem. This video provided shocking statistics about teen girls’ feelings about themselves. I learned that 3 out of 4 teen girls feel depressed, guilty, and shameful about their looks, and almost 50% of them want to be as skinny as the models they see in magazines.
Hearing this information made me think about why teen girls are feeling so poorly about themselves at such a young age. Where are they learning that being super skinny is the same as being beautiful? Why are they so unhappy with their own bodies when they’re not even finished developing?
You know why? Because of the fact that teens are exposed to over 10 hours of media a day! This constant exposure would not be so harmful if it was centered on topics other than skinny models, make-up products, beauty, physical attractiveness, male dominance, losing weight, and the need to be “beautiful.”
Society has created such a narrow perception of beauty that it makes us unhappy with our own bodies, and causes us to feel like we need to change ourselves in order to be “beautiful.” Sadly the majority of young girls spend more time critiquing themselves than appreciating how unique and beautiful they are as individuals.
We tend to associate beauty with external characteristics when we should be looking at qualities like compassion, kindness, self-respect, hard work, and consideration for others.
On the flip side, the video also showed that despite young girls’ discouragement and lack of self-assurance, 9 out of 10 girls have not rejected the idea of being a leader. Although it was encouraging for me to learn that young girls are still dreaming big and setting high standards for themselves, it is even more important for them to actively set out to reach their goals and achieve success!
I believe that young girls should be following the positive messages in this video about valuing themselves, figuring out what makes them happy and celebrating their accomplishments. The video encourages young girls to appreciate their uniqueness and be a role model for others. The song in the background raises the question of “is it ever gonna be enough?” and I say enough is enough. It’s time to make a change.
Let’s stop comparing ourselves to how other people look and starting concentrating on who we are as individuals.
We should NOT be liked, appreciated, and valued because of our physical attributes, but rather on how we act towards others and what positive qualities we possess. I’ve learned that true happiness comes from positive thinking and rewarding achievements.
So I encourage you: follow your dreams, focus on who you are inside and you can achieve anything and everything you put your heart and soul into.
Jaime’s drive to educate youth about healthy living stems from her passion for nutrition and self-care. Recently Jaime graduated from the University of New Hampshire where she received a Bachelor’s Degree in Family Studies with a minor in Nutritional Sciences. Jaime’s personal journey has motivated her to reach out to others and promote healthy behaviors and attitudes.
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