We live in an era where girls as young as middle school are posting provocative things online. It's a cry for attention being sought from boys or anyone else who will listen. These things are degrading towards others and, more often, towards themselves. These posts include barely-clothed photos, sexual innuendos, and explicit language. As I have grown older, I have seen the tweets and Instagram photos become more and more suggestive as the ages of these girls become younger and younger. While some may argue that our society is simply becoming more "open-minded," I feel that it is more of a matter of teaching these young women to respect themselves, rather than to parade their bodies around social media. Young women cannot grow up questioning why the people of their generation do not respect them when they have not been taught how to respect themselves.

One of the most prominent and, perhaps, most essential steps of growing up is self-acceptance. In the early years of high school and college, when everyone is just trying to fit in, it is important to know that it is more than OK to stand out. Gratification is unneeded from anyone but yourself, especially in relation to the opposite sex. More often than not, girls are creating the wrong kind of attention for themselves in an attempt to be viewed in a certain way on social media. Instead of being recognized for their intelligence, thoughts, and ideas, they are objectifying themselves and garnering an inappropriate type of notice. Appealing to the opposite sex should not even be a priority to young women, let alone through the use of the body rather than the mind.

Self-respect is perhaps the most essential quality for young women, especially in our generation. It ought to be instilled with from a very young age. However, we live in a present-day society that is so concerned about how they appear on social media that young women are posting increasingly inappropriate pictures and language. Today, women are in a constant battle to be seen as equals in comparison to their male counter-parts and the sexual objectification of women by women prevents progress. Women must always accept themselves as well as each other. As a group united by gender, we must always support each other, rather than nit-picking at ways to tear each other down. We should all have a little feminist in us. Believe me, your thoughts on the upcoming election are far more interesting and relevant than any "booty picture" or petty insult that you could ever post.

Self-love is the most important thing of all. Being content with oneself is far more powerful than receiving attention (for the wrong reasons) from the male sex. Having said that, you cannot expect love from another individual if you have not yet learned to love yourself. If a male does not value you for more than how your body appears on social media, he is not even worth a millisecond of your time. At the end of the day, everything that you do, everything you post, should be for yourself, not to appeal to a boy. Girls, please remember that there are far more important things than sexualization. Women are strong and should always be perceived as such. The next time that you go to hit the "Tweet" button on your too-risque-for-the-internet photo, remember that you and all of your "followers" should value more than just your figure. Women are powerful, but they need to use that power in the proper way.