As a young woman in 2019, my life is basically run by social media and beauty standards. And over the years, both social media and beauty standards have changed drastically.

But one thing has remained the same: our bodies have become indicators of whether or not we are worthy of love and happiness.

Although social media is not entirely to blame, it certainly doesn't help much. Advertising and marketing have both become ways of spreading negativity revolving around body image. This has always been the case, and it will probably never change. And although body positivity is a very common “trend" on social media, that doesn't cancel out the negativity that continues to be spread. But this article isn't going to be about the effects that social media has on body image. I'm going to show you just how much my body image affects my life.

My body image affects the way I dress every day. It calls me fat when I look in the mirror. It calls me ugly when I'm trying on clothes in the dressing room. It tells me what I can and can't wear.

My body image destroys my self-confidence.

My body image affects my mental health. It's the root of my social anxiety and it's the reason why I used to hate eating in public. It affects when and what I choose to eat, and it's the reason why I hate eating alone. My body image affects my confidence. It affects my happiness and it causes me to feel drained a lot of the time. It makes it hard for me to love myself, and because of that, it causes me to feel like I can't fall in love. My body image prevents me from being in a relationship with someone that I care about greatly. My body image is the reason I get so jealous and clingy. My body image makes me feel like I need external validation.

My body image controls almost every part of my life.

But my body image is helping me grow. My body image is helping me to understand that the way I look doesn't determine my worth. My body image proves that I am human. My body image is messed up and flawed. But it taught me that everyone is flawed, and it eventually helped me understand that no one is truly perfect. Everyone has insecurities, and unfortunately, that's just part of life. My body image allowed me to focus on my own happiness. My body image is the reason why I'm learning how to love myself.

Body image can either be positive or negative.

But ultimately, that choice is up to you.