“Why can’t I just be enough?” This is a question many teenagers ask themselves after scrolling, watching a movie, or looking into a mirror. It could be because your skin isn’t clear enough, your hair isn’t “perfect”, or your body doesn’t look the way influencers do online. Constantly thinking and feeling like you aren’t enough is very draining, frustrating, and discouraging. These feelings don’t come because you hate yourself. Instead, they come because no matter what you do, it always seems like you’ll never be enough.
I’m not the only teenager who feels this way. According to Living In Well Being, “Body image issues affect up to 80% of teenagers.” All around the world there are a great number of teens who struggle with impossible beauty standards that make them feel like they need to look a certain way to be “pretty.” Beauty standards affect your confidence and cause you to forget the amazing personality and talents you have. We should encourage self acceptance rather than tearing people down. We should be celebrating different types of beauty. Parents, teachers, and influencers should remind others that character is just as important as appearance, if not more.
We tend to feel this way because my generation has grown up in a world where everyone posts their picture perfect self and their picture perfect lives. Photos that have been edited have been greatly normalized; these photos show glass skin, “perfect” facial features, and incredibly tiny waists. Teens see these photos and don’t notice how heavily they have been edited. Constantly seeing this “perfection” creates a void or set of standards that we feel we need to meet in order to be pretty enough, ignoring our natural beauty.
Every photo or video posted has been chosen, then edited in order to be worthy enough for posting. This doesn’t apply to just influencers, but to our classmates, family, friends, and strangers who all seem to live perfect lives. This concept becomes deeper and difficult to get out of when we start comparing ourselves to others. Yet, we judge others for not meeting these standards as well. Beauty standards and trends are constantly changing at a rapid pace that is impossible to keep up with, making us feel unsatisfied with ourselves.
In order to change the standards and make an impact, we need to start focusing on our talents, strengths, and self-care. Also, you need to detox yourself from social media by deleting it, spending less time on it, or unfollowing accounts that promote beauty standards. Encouraging self-love is very important for you to overcome the thoughts that tell you you aren’t enough. Complimenting others is essential, especially when you give compliments that extend beyond the topic of appearance. This can help others understand that beauty is not just on the outside, but more importantly, on the inside too. Doing this benefits mental health and the way you view yourself. It is also setting the foundation for a positive future generation.
The anger I feel is not just about beauty itself; it’s from the pressure of having to change myself in order to feel accepted or enough. Being able to accept myself for who I am is difficult, but very important. If everyone focused on being themselves rather than following downgrading beauty conventions, fewer people would feel insecure and angry about these impossible standards.
Giuliana Gaucin – Fenwick High School – DMSF Class of 2030
Photo Credit: Cloudlynx – Pixabay