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Social Media is Taking Over-
Social media has slowly taken over the world. Apps like Instagram, Tiktok, Snapchat, and many more have positively and negatively influenced many teens all over the world. Teenage years are the time where people are figuring out who they are, but with social media being in the hands of these teens, they create pessimistic thoughts. It has really struck Generation Z with many curve balls. Sadly, the negative portion has affected teen girls the most. Teen girls are constantly bombarded with images and videos that create unnatural perceptions of themselves.
Celebrities and Plastic Surgery Influence-
Influencers and celebrities make a living off of posting content. This content consists of unrealistic photos that teen girls tend to value without realizing. Slimmer noses, bigger lips, curvy body shape, and many more attributes are preached. For example, popular reality star Kylie Jenner, averages 1-2 million likes a post on Instagram. There are a countless number of young girls who look up to Kylie for not only her success in the business industry, but her appearance too. It is constantly rumored and sometimes confirmed about all the cosmetic surgery she has gotten done. It is very apparent that procedures have been done, but Kylie continues to deny most of her surgeries. This creates the illusion that she is completely natural. (Kylie isn’t the only influencer that promotes this). Teen girls start falling into a hole of believing that these features are normal which can develop into many different mental health problems. Everybody is human and perfect the way they are.
On top of plastic surgery being promoted, it can be an extremely dangerous procedure. To be specific, a breast augmentation is one of the many operations that is risky. Girls under 18 are presented with the worst risks because developing is still in progress. Women’s bodies tend to gain weight between the ages of 18 and 21. Children’s Health has stated that “if breast implants are used they can cause cause complications even years after their insertion including: a change in position of the implant, an infection requiring removal of the implant, a firm, visible or even painful capsule that forms around the implant, or the implant rupturing causing a change in shape and size of the breast.” Getting breast augmentations that young may also lead to possible problems with mammography scans. Not to mention these surgeries are rarely covered by health insurance. There is nothing wrong with getting plastic surgery but when it gets to the point where you are lying about it while millions of people idolize you, it becomes a problem.
Filters-
Filters are options on many social media platforms that allow you to alter your appearance in photos or videos. This factor again plays into the unrealistic image that teen girls admire. The filters are made from people on these social media platforms and they change the shape of your face, nose, lips, and much more. Self-esteem issues stem from this because every time you use a filter it’s promoting that you’ll never look good enough without cosmetic procedures which aren’t necessary.
You start objectifying yourself when using filters or even “Face-Tuning” them. Face-tune is another app that is promoted by influencers. For instance, Youtuber, Tana Mongeau, has been known for face tuning constantly. It has gotten to the point where she asks fans to edit her pictures in the style she likes. She is also another influencer who promotes using lip filler. She always posts on social media with her aesthetician who has previously offered free sessions. Besides that, the app “FaceTune” allows you to basically morph your face to the way you want it to look. When you start doing this frequently, you can “start seeing yourself as an ‘object’ to perfect or fix” rather than your true self. The disconnection from reality, thoughts, and emotions take control.
Girl-On-Girl Hate-
Tiktok has been widely used by many teens all around the world. It consists of comedy, dancing, and other creative ideas in video form. Many teen girls use this platform to express themselves either getting dolled up for fun or just being who they are. For some reason there is rarely any positivity in these comment sections. What is even more shocking is that they are girls hating on other girls. Many of these negative comments consist of talking about someone’s appearance, health, or very random topics just to make fun of them. A known rule is to always have each other’s back to make the community stronger. There are too many stereotypes and with being more accepting, plenty of the hate would fade away. For example, Tiktoker @jackielabointa had posted a video of her at a baseball game getting mocked by other women while trying to take photos. In the video the women making fun of her can be seen using inappropriate hand gestures and mouthing the word “lame.” This made Jackie feel very insecure when all she was trying to do is have a good time. Women in the comment section were appalled by this and took it a step further by finding the two girls who had done this to doxx them. The doxxing led to the wrong woman being attacked in her comment section. Another issue had sprung just from girls trying to stand up for each other.
I personally saw this video and was shocked. I then later saw the two girls coming forward to speak about what they had done and people had mixed feelings due to them trying to justify what they did. This is just one of the many times girl-on-girl hate has happened on social media.
A Good Outcome-
Out of the many negative effects of social media, one thing that stands out is that it inspires creativity between these young girls. A popular category on social media is makeup and fashion. While it can be a very drama filled between the influencers, they still take the time to create makeup looks. Girls are able to watch these videos and recreate the looks. The makeup looks that influencers do are endless, so everyone can try something new. The ability to post on social media enables girls to express themselves and most importantly, be confident. While there is plenty of negativity on social media, it doesn’t mean that there isn’t any positivity at all. It is my hope that in the next few years, more girls will be more confident in their own bodies as celebrities become more aware of how unnatural and detrimental changing their appearance is. You are beautiful!
