In the past month, or even few weeks, have you found yourself saying:

"Ughhh I hate this about myself."

"I wish I had her features."

"Why couldn't I have been born like this?"

If you said yes to any or all of these, then you are part of the large majority.

Too many times I've heard my girlfriends say how they wish that they could change their looks. This idea that the way they look now isn't good enough is spurred by an unrealistic image. Media and photoshop have taught our generation to have an unattainable body shape. By no means are beauty standards a new concept, but in today's times, the "ideal body" is constantly being pushed. Women today are expected to have an extreme hourglass body with hips, a big butt (but not too big) and a nice "rack."

Men are expected to be over six feet tall with rock hard abs and a chiseled jawline. For most of us, we weren't born with that body type. Why are we promoting one body type that is beautiful when there are SIX other types? WHY ARE WE SHAMING WOMEN AND MEN FOR THE WAY THEY ARE BORN?

I know some of you may be thinking, society is emphasizing the body that is HEALTHY. Excuse me... not always. Women and men can be healthy without having a humongous booty or a size extra-small waist. Height, body type and metabolism levels can all play a role in what someone looks like when they are healthy. This article is not meant to shame anyone who does have the "ideal" body nor is it meant to promote unhealthy living.

It IS time for us to confront beauty standards for being unrealistic and a cause for mental illnesses. So instead of tweeting out about how you wouldn't date a guy/girl unless they meet some sort of standard with their looks, how about you go comment something cute on your friend's new insta post?

This focus on what beautiful looks like has constructed a large mechanism used to bully and cause mental illness in women and men. As a society, we have allowed ourselves to be swept up in the belief that our outward appearance is more important than how we treat ourselves and others.

I'm truly proud of the celebrities that have stood up against the use of photoshop, of the fashion industries that have chosen to have plus size models, and of the makeup brands that include a variety of options for people with unusual or "undesirable" skin colors/tones. I applaud our generation for beginning the journey towards an inclusive idea of beauty, but we still have such a long way to go. The first and biggest steps a lot of us can start doing is complimenting the sister sitting beside or behind you in class. Make it a goal to find something positive about every girl or guy you meet and tell them!