Before I begin to share my thoughts, I in no way, shape or form think that it is superficial or wrong to try and look your best, as long as it is done in a healthy way. I try my best to live a healthy lifestyle; I go to the gym, I eat healthy meals, and I find that exercise and nutritious foods are a great way to look and feel great about yourself. That being said, there are many unhealthy ways in which girls try to live up to specific standards that they feel they need to achieve in order to be considered "good enough."
But what is "good enough?" Does it mean having a tiny waist? A big butt? Full lips? Long hair? Tan skin? The list goes on and on in terms of what young girls feel pressured into becoming. But why do we feel this way? Is it because we want to look like celebrities (who by the way, have millions of dollars to spend on regimens to make themselves look a certain way)? Is it to impress boys? To compete with other girls and feel superior to them? All of these reasons are common explanations as to why girls try to attain this unattainable perfection.
But why? I can not count how many times I have heard girls my age look at an "Instagram models" page and say, "Wow, her body is goals," and then proceed to become insanely motivated to work out and attempt to look just like this model, who also is probably suffering in her own way to look the way that she does. How come it is so uncommon for us girls to admire other attributes of females on social media? Why is there not more pressure for girls to be kind, warm and generous (especially towards each other)? Why do we spend so much time obsessing over our bodies in order to please others rather than focusing on being a good human being? It needs to stop. The extreme diets, skipping meals, girls with eating disorders to try and live up to these standards; it is all just so sad.
The truth is, no one is perfect. People will like you and dislike you for whatever reason they see fit, and that is okay. What matters is that you are content with yourself. The number on the scale should not matter, nor should the size on the inside of your jeans. Living in a generation where social media is so prevalent, it is so difficult not to have the urge to compete with others and compare yourself to other females that you see on your computer screen. The truth is though, the girls that most of us admire are also going through their own personal struggles, and most likely feel the same way that all other girls do.
With that being said, body shaming needs to stop. Us girls need to stop being catty and need to start empowering one another. Rather than screen-shotting an unflattering picture of someone to make fun of with your friends in a group chat, try giving someone a compliment. I promise, someone saying you brightened their day and admiring your kindness is way more rewarding than putting someone else down for a cheap laugh will ever be.
You are beautiful, and so is everybody else. Hopefully one day women will all strive to empower one another rather than trying to tear each other down for a false sense of superiority.
