BY: CLAIRE KIM
As millennials of our time, social media and other internet platforms have been the center of attention for a majority of teens across the nation. It is a place that connects people and brings comparisons, jealousy, and envy all at the same time. With all the good benefits social media has to offer, it doesn’t stop it from bringing a heavier weight of darkness upon teenagers. Cyberbullying, depression, and even body shaming have been the latest trends regarding social media and its impacts. Body shaming is often set aside from all these negative factors, but here I would like to advocate on behalf of the people that feel insecure about themselves and their appearance. To be honest, I believe that everyone has their own opinions on what should be accepted as beautiful in our society. However, because of celebrities and many public standards, the definition of “beautiful” has lost its path. Whether your thighs have a gap or no gap, whether you have abs or no abs, whether you have nice curves or no curves we should all love each other for who we are. As cheesy as it sounds, this idea needs to be repeated to everyone. You shouldn’t feel that you are ugly because you don’t have a quality that society looks for. We can’t compare ourselves to people who aren’t even authentic to themselves. It’s just not right. You shouldn’t feel obliged to conform to the standards that society dictates because no one should be telling you who you need to be. Words like “pretty” “gorgeous” “beautiful” are meant for everyone and shouldn’t only be designated to a certain portion of the population. All I want to remind people is that we aren’t meant to be perfect through other people’s opinions, we are meant to be perfect in the eyes of ourselves. So don’t let these standards tell you what your rank of beauty or worth is. Feel free to smile in your own body comfortably, feeling proud of who you are in this world.
claire kim. 