If Barbie were an actual woman, she would be 5’9”, weighing 110 pounds, have a 39” bust, an 18” waist, 33” hips, and a size 3 shoe. This woman’s body would not be able to contain her organs, would not be able to menstruate, would not be able to walk, and would be deemed anorexic. This body is unattainable, yet little girls play with and look up to this “beautiful” doll.  Society is to blame for the low self esteem in teens today.

            People are constantly trying to become more attractive, striving for what society considers pretty or handsome. We compare ourselves to what we see in movies, magazines and Television. We absorb the endless judgment of others and we criticize ourselves our whole lives.

Individuality is supposedly supported in today’s society, yet people are discriminated against and judged for how they look, act, and feel. As teenagers are growing up and discovering who they are, they are surrounded by these negative influences in society.

“I think it’s really unfortunate that we have so many unrealistic images influencing what we think is beautiful and what’s not,” Paige Savarese, freshman, said. “People need to realize that what they see on a billboard, cover of a magazine, and in a movie is a representation of the top one percent of people who have had a team of professions to help them look that way. It’s unrealistic and ridiculous.”

All of these images portraying the most attractive and acceptable people plays a toll on how people, especially teens, view themselves and can cause low self-esteem issues.

Low self-esteem is a mental disorder in which an individual views himself or herself as inadequate, unworthy, unloved, and/or incompetent. Once formed, this negative self image permeates every thought, producing faulty assumption and ongoing self-defeating behavior. Low self-esteem issues are common in young people, especially in high school. Seven out of ten girls believe that they are not good enough or do not measure up in some way, including their looks, performance in school and relationships with friends and family members, according to dosomething.org.

With the media showing the gorgeous celebrities with their model bodies, telling the viewers that is what pretty looks like, makes it challenging for teens to see the beauty in themselves. Nobody should have to feel judged and self-conscious because of an unattainable beauty they strive for. Humans are all different and not one person is the same; however, today’s society is focused on conformity and social acceptance.

“I strongly believe that people should embrace what they are and disregard all the societal pressures about how they should look. All you can ask of yourself is to be the best version of yourself and be happy with that,” Savarese said. “Everyone is their own person and it shouldn’t be expected for us to all look the same.”

Although most people are more aware of low self-esteem issues associated with girls, boys are affected by society’s norms as well.

More than 40 percent of boys in middle school and high school regularly exercise with the goal of increasing muscle mass, and 38 percent reported using protein supplements, according to dosomething.org.  Additionally, nearly 6 percent admitted to experimenting with steroids.

It is shocking that as human beings, we would put harmful substances into our bodies and practice unhealthy habits to conform, rather than accepting the way we are and the way we look and loving ourselves that way.

Living with low self-esteem is no way to live, and as individuals we should be proud of who we are and how we look, ignoring the influence of the media and society around us.