Not too long ago girls everywhere rushed to be “bikini ready” each spring when summer ready magazines hit stands. I remember as a young child reading my mom’s magazines about get that perfect beach body and how to quickly shed those few extra pounds. The models on the front cover with perfect white teeth, thin bodies, and fresh out of salon hair. Now young girls do not need to see a magazine to be struck with body shame but we are exposed seven days a week. Now thanks to Tumblr, Instagram, and apps such as twitter young girls see tall and thin models, perfect hair, thigh gaps, and tiny waists at the touch of a button.

You can blame the mass market. Stores like Brandy Melville are “one size fits most” in reality Brandy is “one size fits small”. Target has photoshop mishaps on bikinis for young teens faking thigh gaps on models. Victoria’s Secret Campaign Slogans include “The Perfect Body” with many VS Angels in the background. in the Uk retailer Urban Outfitters was forced to take down an ‘irresponsible and harmful’ photo of a model with a significant ‘thigh gap’ that they were using to advertise underwear on their website. They upheld the complaint, saying that the ad was indeed irresponsible because of the aspirations youths associated with the brand. Given the worrying rates of eating disorders especially among young people, I applaud the Advertising Standards Authority for encouraging positive body image, and for taking steps to ensure that retailers comply with this.

You cannot only blame the Mass Market you can just as much blame the one this is hurting the most. It is your teen’s posting pictures for the world to see and comment on. What is worse is how ‘seemingly unplanned’ these photos look making the ideal of looking ‘perfect’ seem so effortless. Appearance ideals have always been unrealistic but never before have teens been able to dip into a world of such criticism so easily. In fact body dissatisfaction has been on such a rise in the U.S. according to a study by the Keep it Real Campaign, 80% of American 1o year old girls have been on a diet. Anorexia is one of the most common unhealthy lifestyles troubled teens undertake.63 percent of American girls report they are unhappy with their bodies by age thirteen. 88 percent are unhappy with their bodies by age seventeen. 

Why are teen turning to Social Media for validation? Because they can. As silly as it sounds it is true. It is human nature and I do not even need facts to back it up. Plain and simple, people want to be not only accepted but liked. Here is where the problem grows, body shaming is on so many levels. Curvy and Skinny girls taking sides, On the much more advertised side you have fat shaming. Fat shaming shows girls that their peers do no not approve of their body shape or size. You then have skinny shaming. This then pressures thin girls. Although they may love being thin it is a double standard. I totally understand body positivity, but if you bash the opposite body type you are still part of the problem. Examples of skinny shaming can be found in songs such as Anaconda by Nicki Minaj or All about that Bass by Meghan Trainor. Body Shaming can go very off topic all the way into school’s dress code. Thousands of teen girls accuse their schools every year for shaming them for their bodies. Girls all around America being told to change in front of classmate by educators. Plainly showing that how you look is more important than my education. I know this because according to studies 90% of dress code violations are given to girls. Only 10 percent given to boys.

As I researched this reading anorexia statistics directly next to the articles were ads for Victoria’s Secret Swimwear. Coincidence? This is just how the internet works and front pages may always be scattered with pictures to throw down your self love and self worth. We do have glimmers of hope. One example would be the power anthem All about that Bass by Meghan Trainor. Meghan is my role model. I discovered her before many did and she originally was not going to be signed for a record deal because she was not skinny and did not have the ‘look’. Meghan taught me I have to love myself because my first love has to be myself. I know this because I met Meghan. I snuck backstage Jingle Ball this year to meet her. I told her how she helped me overcome my eating issues and she told me she loved me. Change is not going to happen easily. The government can ban as many ads as they want but in reality is is just that teen’s will need to learn how much they are worth. You are special, you are worth it.  We have to learn to not let anything define us.