You could sit 20 teenagers down and take a survey, asking them how many of them can confidently say they love themselves, and I can almost promise you that around half will say they do. But for the other half? It's too hard to love themselves when they don't feel like there is anything good about themselves to love.
Me, being one of the second half who can't love myself no matter how hard I try, am making a serious effort in trying to overcome my insecurities and try my best to love myself for who I am. But, with all the negativity that goes on over social media and the constant reminder that sometimes even your friends don't think you're enough, it's going to be a difficult challenge.
It's hard enough seeing those flawless girls get absolutely everything you've ever wanted in your life. A perfectly toned body, a stunning face with and without makeup, a wardrobe to die for and guys crying to get their attention. Then you look at yourself and compare your body, your face, your hair, your wardrobe and their luck with guys to your luck and you feel lost and hopeless.
But why is it that most teenage girls feel the need to compare themselves to others? Is it because it's what society has taught us through social media or is it because we actually don't feel good about ourselves? Throughout my years on social media, scrolling down numerous feeds and double-tapping Instagram pictures for the majority of my evenings, I've come to realize that a lot of the negativity towards our own selves is due to social media. Plenty of other people feel the need to bring others down. Whether it be about their personalities, their weight, how they look, who they're dating. It's always something.
For instance, your favorite celebrities post flawless pictures of themselves every day. You sit back, look at the picture and then at yourself, and start comparing every part of yourself to every part of them. You point out every flaw that you have and look back at the picture of them and notice they don't have that flaw. But, you have to consider the fact that almost every picture of celebrities online is photoshopped to perfection. There's no person in this world who doesn't have a flaw. Everyone is self-concious about something. Whether it be their looks, or their brains, or their social skills, not one person in this world is 100% okay with themselves. There's always something that needs to be worked on.
Why is that the case, though? Why should we always be battling with our minds on whether we fit in or not? Or why should we have to compare ourselves to others and drain our feelings from our minds to tears? It shouldn't have to be this way. Unfortunately society has made it so you aren't always going to be 100% happy with yourself but that should change.
Everyone has flaws. Everyone has beauty. And everyone has brains. Start looking at yourself in the mirror and smiling. Don't critique specific body parts and don't tug at your extra skin and don't suck in your stomach in every picture you take. You're you for a reason. Learn to love yourself and learn to feel beautiful.
"Stop hating yourself for everything you aren't and start loving yourself for everything that you are."
