5 Steps to Finding Your Girl Power
By: Lauren Galley
These days, it’s all
about the look,
style, weight and
anything you can
think of to judge
someone by. For
youth between the
ages of 10 and 24,
suicide is the third
leading cause of
death, yet people
still sit there
wondering why. The
pressure to be
perfect dances
around a teen’s head
more often than we
would like to think.
Teenagers see
everything
differently, “Oh, you’re a size five? Go on a diet tubs.” “You’re a size double zero? Stop
starving yourself.” “You ate five slices of pizza?! Lay off the food fatty.” I mean, seriously?!
The list of put downs could go on for miles, it’s just ridiculous. I feel as if I’m the only one
here thinking, exactly what is perfect, what is beautiful, what is ugly?
Teens no longer understand the term self-esteem. The Millennial generation focuses on the
term validation. It’s appalling to see teens using social media to feel good about
themselves and then you have the models in the magazines, they’re “fake.” I use the term
“fake” to make a point. Obviously the models are real people just like you and me,
however their true selves are hidden under ten pounds of makeup and powerful editing
software. Unfortunately, girls dream of being those people.
Is it the media that has teens starving themselves, scarfing and barfing or do we lack the
self confidence and what I like to call Girl Power to see marketing and social media for the
good? I’m 18 years old and I’ve been a victim hypnotized by the media’s recipe for
“perfect,” however I decided not to take the bait and let others decide for me the value
of my self worth.