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How Does Body Image Affect Society

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Society today is more harsh n teens than your average bullies. Teenagers in our culture are constantly forced to act, feel, or more so pretend to feel a certain way. Society enjoys dictating how our youth should behave. The pressures placed on teens to meet a certain standard often lead to harmful outcomes. Although some pressures are only experienced by one gender and not the other, some are endured by both and it is only fair to say that both boys and girls feel the pressure of fitting into society’s norms.

For decades women have been put under the pressure of looking a certain way. This pressure, primarily begins in the adolescence- teenage years of a girl’s life. Teenage girls are expected to have perfect bodies.Thin- but curvy, tan- but …show more content…

I will even grant you that most guys do not spend the same time on their hair and preparing ourselves to go out as girls do. We certainly do not embellish ourselves to the extent that most girls do, however, body image, is not only a pressing issue for girls, but for guys as well.

It’s also valid to state that these pressures are severely harming the youth of our nation. From depression, and feelings of exclusion to, pursuing drastic measures to change their body image, the struggle to be a culturally accepted individual is exhausting and dangerous. But how do we change this? Do we force our kids to be stronger individuals, or do we fight for a change in our societal values?

People, especially young people, should be free of pressure to look a certain way, act a certain way, behave a certain way, and think a certain way. We should not be robots, programmed to carry out what big brother wants. We all need to learn to want better for ourselves, but at the same time be okay with ourselves. We need to learn not to go against our own feelings for what society wants us to feel. Girls and boys alike are held prisoner to these pressures, especially in high school years, and it is detrimental. Whether you feel girls have it worse or boys have it worse is not necessarily the issue; the issue at hand is that these pressures exist, and are a plague to teenagers across

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