Self-esteem and Teen Girl Flips Essay Example for Free

Self-esteem and Teen Girl Flips Essay Sixteen year old Fathima looks at herself in the mirror. She studies her body along with her face and thinks she is extremely ugly. She looks at the television and a popular celebrity appears on the screen with a beautiful face and body. She compares that person to how she looks. She says to herself, Why am I so ugly? Why am I so fat? I want to be beautiful! Good day to one and all. My topic for today â€Å"Celebrities and how they impact on teenagers lives. Living in a technological era, we have access to the tabloids more than ever before. There are television sets, magazine covers, Internet blogs, and movies screaming to be read and watched. When a life of parties, short-term relationships, drugs, and alcohol are leading celebrities like Britney, Paris, and Justin to spiral out of control, you would think that their lifestyle is not ideal. But, fans of these stars disagree. Now, in an age where we have more contact with celebrity gossip than we have ever had, we are faced with a question: what are the effects that superstars have on our youth? . Every day there are more and more stories and pictures on the Internet of the illicit activities of celebrities. Teens see these people partying, drinking alcohol or doing drugs, and they think they should too. This sends the message to teens that in order to have fun or be cool, you have to use these substances. Teens may begin to think that it is no big deal, and this can cause serious problems leading to drug and alcohol addictions, risk-taking behaviors, and even death. The use and abuse of drugs and alcohol is not the only dangerous celebrity influence for teens. Some of the most common problems that occur are issues with self-esteem for teens, especially teen girls. When a teen girl flips through her favourite fashion magazine, she is inundated with pictures and articles revolving around the erroneous belief that celebrities are perfect. The air-brushed pictures, workout and diet tips, and pin-thin models can cause body images issues for teens. In trying to make themselves look like the pictures that they see, teens can cause real damage to their bodies. Working out too much or not eating enough can lead to an eating disorder, such as anorexia or bulimia. Many teens are like Fathima are strongly affected by celebrities. Popular celebrities are always shown on the covers of magazines and on television for teens to view. They look glamorous and beautiful, causing teens to want to be like them. Many teenagers look up to these role models but most of these popular beauties affect teens negatively. They go through extreme measures to become thin and are afraid of gaining weight. Teens also think that by becoming thin they will look beautiful and become popular. Many teens have low self esteem and become quickly swayed by the celebrities looks. So many times they forget that they are beautiful the way they are. They want to look perfect. Either their nose is too big or theyre not skinny enough. These small imperfections cause teens to look at the celebrities and envy them. They strive to lose that extra kilos, but end up losing more than enough. If something cannot be done to make that tiny imperfection better, it leads to dangers, such as suicide. Teens should appreciate the way they look already and be grateful. Many children who face hardship and live with poverty arent even able to look ‘cool if they wanted to. While it is almost impossible to completely remove any negative celebrity influence from your life, you can lessen the effects of celebrities and the media by seeking out positive role models in real life who you can aspire to be like. Try to find people who exhibit qualities you would like to have, such as honesty, optimism and perseverance. It can also be helpful to try to take the focus off of your appearance as much as possible. Remember, that you are not defined by what you look like. What really makes up a person is how you act and treat other people. Thank you.