With recent advancements and developments in technology, letters have become a thing of the past, and social media has become the perfect way to meet people, “You can find like-minded people who can like help you to connect to others and make you feel better about being different.” Lily Burhop, a senior, explained.Social media can be great for seeing what a friend is up to if you haven’t seen them for a while or to post about your new and exciting diets. But, it can also be very oppressing towards teenage girls imparticular. Connie Dignan, a Teacher, added, “It definitely has a positive impact, but there are enough negatives to concern us sometimes… It would be nice if we could all take advantage of the positive aspects of social media.”
For many high school girls, the second they go on social media, images of models with “perfect bodies” and zero facial blemishes pop up. This can affect how they, in turn, feel about themselves, “I feel like it shaped myself to be a very self-conscious person about what I’m wearing and how my body looks’” Anna Viken, a senior, stated.
Aside from what is seen on social media, the commentary can be even more devastating. If a girl’s pictures are not photoshopped to perfection, then she is likely to receive negative comments about her body or damaged skin.
The social media models also are always up to date on the most trendy clothing and accessories. However, many of their trendy items are pricey and unreasonable, “I’m not trying to be trendy all the time, but those pics on social media make me want to buy.” How can we stop the negativity? “I think we have to take some actions; we need to have equal opportunity with men and have even more for girls.” Mona Uemura, a senior, explained.
In the end, if people comment and post what they want to see and read then social media can become what it should be, a positive place to share what’s happening in your life.