Do you ever look in the mirror and hate the way you look? Wish you could change something, even something small that no one would notice? Teens struggle with body image every day, constantly comparing themselves to the seemingly perfect facade that social media and advertisements display. However, that really is not the case at all. 

Your body image is how you think and feel about your body. It is the visual you have of your body, regardless of whether or not it matches your actual body, or if it is distorted in your mind. Teens can have a positive or negative body image, and usually it is a combination of both. Everyone’s feelings are unique and personal. People who have a negative body image want to change a part of themselves. Unhealthy teen body image causes low self-esteem, which can cause negative behaviors and mood swings.Teens who may be feeling bad about their body image tend to constantly compare themselves to people who have an “ideal” body or how the media portrays the “ideal” body. These unrealistic and unattainable portrayals of beauty can destroy a teen’s idea of their body. Diet products and beauty items advertise that being thin is the key to being attractive and happy. 

Low self-esteem and negative body image can lead to unhealthy diets or weight loss methods, eating disorders, and mental health disorders such as depression. Feeling bad about your body can be very detrimental to your mental health, emotional health, and even physical health. According to Amy Morin from Verywell Family, “Research has linked the exposure of images of underweight female bodies to unhealthy eating habits and decreased self-esteem. A 2009 study found that girls who were unhappy with their appearance were at a significantly higher risk for suicide.” 

Social media plays a big role in “ideal” body portrayal and enhancing model’s features to make them all appear fit and perfect. In this day and age, it is pretty difficult to escape the world of social media because it controls so much of our lives. However, being away from social media or not having it at all can be beneficial to your body image because then you cannot compare yourself to the unrealistic expectations of the “perfect” body that is advertised everywhere. Freshman Zach Prouty agrees, saying, “I do not use normal social media because I believe it is dangerous.” Social media can be dangerous, especially to influential teenagers. According to junior Jiwan Tib, “Social media has the nature of portraying a ‘one size fits all idea.’ Everything you see is the same. Everyone sees the same thing and then it indirectly becomes the norm. It forces people into thinking that they have to look like that. It honestly just causes a chain reaction which is really bad for society as a whole. I don’t even have social media, which proves how body type ideals have infiltrated everything.”

Additionally, the idea of “society’s norms” and how everyone is supposed to fit under certain categories is very limiting and suffocating. Tib states, “Society’s norms are so toxic. It’s unfair that everyone is expected to fit into a box. Society instills the idea that girls should be shaped like an hourglass, hairless, and have clear skin. For boys, the idea is that they have to be tall, be muscular, and also have nice skin. There’s so many more and the list could go on forever and ever. We are teenagers! Everyone is changing so much, proving how the expectations are wild.”

Naturally, it is normal to feel insecure or self-conscious with society’s reminder of the “perfect image” and the “perfect body” plastered everywhere. As claimed by senior Erin Gehrig, “Everyone feels insecure at times. It’s human nature. I often feel insecure about my face shape, my weight, my height, etc. I’m sure you could ask any person at this school and they would tell you they feel insecure sometimes. It’s okay to have moments of insecurity.” Additionally, sophomore Devon Erickson says, “I think that people our age should not worry about their body image as much as they do.” 

Fat shaming or shaming of any body type does happen, but you should not listen to any other people when it comes to your body image and how you see yourself. Tib states, “Other’s opinions have affected my body image in the past. I would say that I have gotten better about it as I’ve grown up, however. Now, I try to disconnect myself from sources that have a negative effect or make comments about my appearance.” Additionally, Gehrig says, “I try not to let other people’s thoughts affect me, but it happens. What we have to remember, especially as females, is that these big corporations profit off of us feeling like we’re not enough. We have to try our hardest to keep these negative influences from penetrating and negatively impacting our own body image.” Your mentality and thoughts can morph and distort the way you see your body versus your actual body image. It is important to appreciate the little things about yourself, and recognize the features you like. 

Surround yourself with positive people and positive reinforcements. Gehrig remarks, “I think it’s very important to surround yourself with body positivity. I follow lots of body positivity pages, and encourage that behavior in everyday life. If you have the ability and platform to reach out to people, I heavily suggest you post, talk, comment, boost, anything to help body positivity reach the people around you. Seeing those posts or comments really does impact the way people feel about themselves.” Also, do things that you want to do to take care of your body, keep it healthy, and have your body image appear the way you want it to.

We are regularly surrounded by edited and Photoshopped ideals of the perfect body and the body you should have to fit into “society’s norms.” But we do not have to stay in the restricted guidelines of “society’s norms.” We can shape our own reality and influence our future. Always encourage body positivity, inclusivity, and most importantly, accept and love yourself.