RSS 2.0 - Blog FeedOur appearance and how we grow
Hey, girls! Each of you has once been an adolescent. Many of you are still in their teenage years. This is why I would like to talk some about our appearance and how we grow.
Can you remember yourself and your feelings, as you were getting older and mature? What doubts did you have about the way you looked? Do you remember how much tears you’ve cried because you did not match the desired ideal? How many times were you rejected by a handsome boy simply because he thought you were not attractive enough? Too many questions, I know, but all these questions have once been part of your adolescent life. We all know what it takes being an adolescent girl. We all know what it takes to survive the difficulties of sexual and emotional growth in teenage years.
We all live in the world of mass media, and this openness to the Internet and other media resources change our beliefs about appearance and ourselves. Since the 1940s, the media have spread the message of body thinness as the main criterion of perfect appearance among teenage and adult girls. Look at yourself today and think of the things you have accomplished to get thinner. I believe you have already experienced a series of diets and have undergone a number of cosmetic procedures to make yourself look more beautiful (to be more exact, look more in accordance with the public standards of beauty).
Recent polls involving teenage girls reveal the shocking truth. Among girls 9-10 years old, every second one has already tried to lose her weight!! The prevailing majority of girls and boys 10 years of age report that they are absolutely dissatisfied with their bodies. However, what used to be a norm (there is hardly any boy or girl who is satisfied with his/her appearance during adolescence) has become abnormal today. The fact is that boys and girls report their dissatisfaction with appearance under the influence of the media!! Recent studies have found that, the more adolescents watch television the more dissatisfied they become with their bodies. Most female characters in the movies discuss their appearance and look, and most commercials are created with professional models participating in them. It is no wonder that girls and boys who do not match the thin ideal feel absolutely dissatisfied with themselves and go beyond reasonable in their pursuit of thinness.
Not surprisingly, adolescent boys and girls feel the lack of physical confidence and, at times, do unreasonable things which, as they believe, will make them look more beautiful or handsome. In reality, all they need is to become more tolerant regarding their appearance and wait until they develop natural beauty later in life. We, girls, need to understand that there is no way to go through adolescence other than through dissatisfaction and even disappointment. We should also realize that there is nothing good in being absolutely thin. We, current and future mothers, must become the best support to our children who are approaching their adolescent years. We must support our children through this difficult period in their lives, and show them that there are things much more important than appearance!
Tags: how we grow, appearance, physical confidence
We all live in the world of mass media, and this openness to the Internet and other media resources change our beliefs about appearance and ourselves. Since the 1940s, the media have spread the message of body thinness as the main criterion of perfect appearance among teenage and adult girls. Look at yourself today and think of the things you have accomplished to get thinner. I believe you have already experienced a series of diets and have undergone a number of cosmetic procedures to make yourself look more beautiful (to be more exact, look more in accordance with the public standards of beauty).
Recent polls involving teenage girls reveal the shocking truth. Among girls 9-10 years old, every second one has already tried to lose her weight!! The prevailing majority of girls and boys 10 years of age report that they are absolutely dissatisfied with their bodies. However, what used to be a norm (there is hardly any boy or girl who is satisfied with his/her appearance during adolescence) has become abnormal today. The fact is that boys and girls report their dissatisfaction with appearance under the influence of the media!! Recent studies have found that, the more adolescents watch television the more dissatisfied they become with their bodies. Most female characters in the movies discuss their appearance and look, and most commercials are created with professional models participating in them. It is no wonder that girls and boys who do not match the thin ideal feel absolutely dissatisfied with themselves and go beyond reasonable in their pursuit of thinness.
Not surprisingly, adolescent boys and girls feel the lack of physical confidence and, at times, do unreasonable things which, as they believe, will make them look more beautiful or handsome. In reality, all they need is to become more tolerant regarding their appearance and wait until they develop natural beauty later in life. We, girls, need to understand that there is no way to go through adolescence other than through dissatisfaction and even disappointment. We should also realize that there is nothing good in being absolutely thin. We, current and future mothers, must become the best support to our children who are approaching their adolescent years. We must support our children through this difficult period in their lives, and show them that there are things much more important than appearance!
Tags: how we grow, appearance, physical confidence