Pressures on teens to look good

[jeanette1976]

In the interest of research, how do you feel about the enormous pressures on teenage girls to look good. In my opinion, the magazines that are available do not set a good example as they contradict almost every campaign that they bring up, ie. annorexia, bullying, etc.

They tell teens to love themselves for who they are and accept how they look, then tell them how to get 'Kate Moss's' look... they show an article on anti-bullying, then follow up with pages of celebrities looking 'sweaty or fat'. No wonder teens would prefer to be WAGS than to get a good education and career... they glamourize the WAG lifestyle to the hilt!!! Coleen says she's happy with her curvy shape, then shows off her air-brushed, skinny trim figure!!!

What are your views?

Many thanks!

[Octavius]

I don�t think there is particular harm in encouraging youngsters to look their best and take pride in their appearance. What you are deprecating is the media induced impetus for girls to all look the same, and that anything else is abnormal. Of course, this is abhorrent. But its not new.

At some point parents need to educate or take responsibility for their child having plastic surgery, fake tans and strange dietary habits. It can�t always be the fault of everyone else.

[ChocolatChip]

I agree with you jeanette.

Models are so airbrushed that you wouldn't reconise them in real life, and then we're told (by each other and by ourselves) that we have to match up to their perfectly toned figures and perfect complexion.

The women celebrities who say they love their curvy figures are still underweight and don't eat and exercise like every other women, they pay for specialist dietians and personal trainers. Which none of us can afford.

Magazines cannot teach you to love yourselves, sorry. It comes from within you, some have more trouble than others.

I was bullied for years for being different from how everyone else looked, I was bullied by 'big' kids, saying that I was fat!
It destroyed every inch of my self-confidence and esteem. I am slowly attempting to recover (with help) from an eating disorder and depression, brought on by years of bullying.
But I still hate myself, everyday, and I can't break the cycle.

[Taalemsurt]

Well that image that they give is first of all not realistic... Most people are born with avarage looks a 5 or a 6 in total if you want to clime up to a 7 you need to go to the gym eat healthy for 6 months and use face creams, nobody looks good without doing anything to improve there appearnce but if you want to look like those models you have to be a 8 or a 9 and to reach that level you have to apply for surgery wich is expensive, so you can't look naturally like a model without doing anything also perception comes from the brain on some days peoples receptors are high wich cause them to view you as good looking in other days not its like drinking alcohol you see people 20 %more attractive because your receptors are high on alcohol some people have naturally high receptors other not and other people have some days high some days liw receptors so you can't look good to everyone because everyone is different and you can't look good everyday.

So the model magazines are all unrealistic some photoshoped some use heavy makeup and some have done plastic surgery so if you want to be on there standart you have to do all 3 of the mentiined above things that they do, normally people look just avarage naturally.