Possibly one of the most controversial issues that typical teenagers may encounter upon today is the pressure to be “perfect.” This form of pressure is everywhere – movies, magazines, books, even in the real world. It is safe to state that most teenagers are unhappy with the way they are; this unhappiness is quite evident in events that have happened in our social environments. A classic, but unfortunately common, example of this is a young woman who is constantly told what she should look like by glossy, retouched photos of twig-like models in a magazine may eventually develop bulimia; she vomits away any traces of a positive self-image that she may have had. The pressure to be perfect exists everywhere, is constantly berated and exploited upon by the media, and challenges the true meaning of beauty itself.
In this persistent and competitive world, realities – false or true – hit like the shattering of cold glass; true situations or wrong perceptions of the world can certainly alter a person’s state of mind. If a young individual is continuously harassed by even a single peer who is telling her negative things that harm her self-esteem, she eventually perceives the negativity as true statements. In the working world, a hardworking individual may never receive any attention if he or she does not possess a high self-esteem. Even if a teenager manages to hold exemplary grades, he feels the pressure to have a high self-esteem in order to feel and be confident. This type of pressure is indeed everywhere – from the classroom environment to the life-changing moments during an interview and beyond.
Virtually all modern magazines of today take professional photos of models and celebrities, ultimately giving out the message that what these glossy pages show is beauty. What many young women or men do not realize is that these Photoshop-enhanced photos do not come close to defining beauty – it’s all a matter of opinion and what values you store for yourself. Even in movies, beauty is shown as practically everything. For example, an overweight or obese person is teased in a movie – this may influence the behavior of others and make overweight or obese individuals a target for harassment.
You may argue that there are some forms of media out there that provide support for these negatively-influenced teens, and there certainly are. A modern day example is Demi Lovato’s “Skyscraper,” in which she provides support to distraught teens and advocates the fact that she is above the bullies and negativity, like a skyscraper. However, some types of media distort opinions or raise questions – Selena Gomez’s “Who Says” states that you, as an individual, are perfect, while Hannah Montana sings out that “Nobody’s Perfect.” Ultimately, if the negative and positive forms of media were put separately on a balance, the positive forms of media would certainly be outnumbered – the side of the balance with the negative forms of media would probably hit the floor and break off with all the weight.
Everybody – not just teenagers – should have the right to feel beautiful just the way they are; they should accept the fact that they’re not perfect and embrace their imperfections. An important realization that should take place is that when an individual – be skinny, chubby, black, white, brown, crooked-nosed or crooked-teethed – looks in the mirror, the mirror does not shatter. Beauty should not be defined by the stick-thin arms of a model on a magazine cover or the fashion world that reprimands young individuals for eating more than their 800-calorie limit. As much of a cliché as it is, beauty really is only skin deep, and the moment that modern teenagers realize it, the more satisfied they will be and the more fulfilling life will turn out for them.
Today’s popular forms of media and culture are definitely taking a toll on many young individuals, male and female. Attempting to get rid of as many imperfections as they can, teenagers rely on many life-threatening and dangerous means to “perfect” themselves. As the media and society force their beliefs down the throats of young individuals, these individuals should have the capability and strength to escape away from false pretenses and accept everyone and everything – especially themselves – for exactly who they are.
