Society and the Pressure to be Perfect | Teen Ink

Society and the Pressure to be Perfect

December 8, 2011
By trenchquinn BRONZE, St. Catharines, Other
trenchquinn BRONZE, St. Catharines, Other
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

These days, it's all about the look, style, weight, anything you can think of to judge someone with. Studies believe that the teenage suicide rates have more than tripled over the last decade. Yet people still sit there wondering why, as if it wasn't already obvious enough, it's always the pressure to be perfect. Teenagers see everything differently, “Oh, you're a size five? Go on a diet tubs.” “You're a size double zero? Stop starving yourself, anorexic.” “You ate 5 slices of pizza?! Lay off the food fatty.” “You cut yourself? You must be emo.” I mean, seriously?! The list of put downs could go on for miles, it's just ridiculous. I feel as if I'm the only one here thinking, exactly what is perfect, what is beautiful, what is ugly.

I don't even see why people still use the reference 'self esteem', because almost no one has any, anymore. It's truly pathetic what people have come too. Then you have those models in megazines, they're fake. They hide under ten pounds of makeup and some photo shop editing software. Girls and boys dream of being those people, the media has kids starving themselves, scarfing and barfing, hacking away at their wrists and thighs, killing themselves. What are the parents supposed to think of this? Their child intentionally abusing themselves because they either get bullied or they want to be like perfect porcelain. Except no one can be perfect, because perfect is just a word people stamp all over to feel perfect.

Perfect is never the same, perfect is the impossible. Perfect is different to everyone, in which: no one can be perfect. I mean if you were ask me, I'd say perfect is Marianas Trench. Although, almost one to no one would agree with me. What is most awarded for being 'perfect' though, is being skinny, pretty, and popular.. three traits that any girl or boy would die for. Well, not every, but most. What is so good about be skinny, pretty, or popular anyway? Sure, you have more friends and people like you, but how do you know that's not all fake, how do you know people don't just like you for your looks? Shouldn't just be personality that matters, because what I've come to realize is that the pretty, skinny, popular people are all rude and have fake as hell personality's.

What do people have against being themselves anymore? I always believed that if you were yourself people would like you, clearly, I was mistaken. Basically if you pretend to me nice, or if you come up with a funny dis, etc, etc. People will worship you. Why do people envy the people with good looks, and terrible personality's? I bet if you saw the 'ugliest' person, with the most beautiful personality, you wouldn't think twice to not talk to them. I know not everyone is like that, but the majority of the population of teenagers is. The worst thing is when people look up to celebrity's though.

Most girls and boys look up to people like Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, the Kardashians, Selena Gomez, etc. When they're the one's prancing around in their birthday suit or bras and crap on television. They're also caked in makeup and designer clothing, how do you think that is making an impact on your children, or other teenagers? It's going to make them feel fat, ugly, gross, not good enough, they all start going to desperate measures to make themselves look and feel like those girls on T.V. It's just not right, society is ruing our teens, even worse – it's ruining us.

The author's comments:
We're doing this for a class writing prompt called "Letter To The Editor" and one of my teachers told me I should put it on here, so yeah.

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This article has 5 comments.


Firdevs said...
on Jan. 6 2015 at 7:50 pm
I really like your article, you wrote my feelings also. When I look at stars as in your eyes and criticise them, people around me think that i envy them. But, the truth is that they are not real. Thank you very much. I have a work to do for my final, it is preparing a unit. So, I want to use this article in it. I hope I will be a good teacher and teach my students what is being an unique and real individual. :)

alymarie0826 said...
on Nov. 21 2014 at 9:54 am
i love this article i love that people notice how the media shoves this crap in teens minds to be perfect im doing an essay on this topic and me myself have went through this i struggle with it everyday but knowing people care and pay attention to how this effects people is great

Shadii9873 said...
on Nov. 17 2014 at 4:29 pm
Firstly, Marianas Trench is absolute love! Secondly, this article has helped me write my English Assessment, so thank you so much! And thirdly, PREACH IT SISTA! Love from London.

mspock14 said...
on Oct. 21 2013 at 1:32 pm
i am writing my senior project on this topic

stophurting said...
on Oct. 2 2013 at 4:40 pm
when was this article posted?