How Media Affects Teens’ Self-Esteem

Iqra Khan, Staff Writer

Society has a strong impact on teens every day. There are many aspects in society that either make teens insecure or cause them want to change something about themselves.

In today’s world, social media and even mainstream media inundate young people with images and stories about beautiful people and perfection. Exposure to these stories – especially social media posts – cause teens to experience feelings of insecurity with their bodies, their skin, and even their attire.

One area that really causes issues for teens are posts about body types. Generally speaking, there are three body types. Endomorph body type is the type with high fat tissue and a rounder body than others. Ectomorph body type is a type that is more lean, and it is difficult for people with this body type to gain muscle or fat with their high metabolism. Mesomorph body type is a type that has a muscular frame, and these people find it is easy to gain or lose weight.

According to Joel Snape’s article on body types and how to train for your body type,  he says that, even though there are three body types, you don’t have to be one or the other; you can sit between two of them or be a combination of two. Also, you can work to another body type, such as you can move from an endomorph to a mesomorph. Or mesomorph to ectomorph.

Unfortunately for young people, getting away from social media doesn’t mean they don’t see these things on the shows they watch and the magazines they read. I think in shows they should have more diversity in body and skin tones. Diversity in body sizes and shapes are just as important as having diversity among races and skin tones. In shows and magazines the pictures we see are sometimes photoshopped but still give teens the idea of a perfect body.

The challenge for people when it comes to social media is how their posts are received by those who follow them or see their posts. For example, when people with an endomorph body type posts a picture about body positivity, trying to look their best and feel confident, they are told that they are beautiful and they are doing well. However, when someone with a ectomorph body type posts a picture about body positivity, trying to look their best as well and feel confident, they are told that they are bragging and that it’s disgusting that they are that skinny. They are told that they should eat more and that their body is only bones and skin.

This type of feedback is just as painful for a person who is skinny as it is for a person who is overweight. No matter what a person looks like, it’s not okay to tell them that their body is wrong in some way. Telling a person that they are too skinny is just like telling people that they’re too fat. People who have rounder body types and people who have slimmer body types face the same feelings when it comes to body positivity. In fact, body positivity is the most talked about topic on Twitter and Instagram, except if you’re skinny. Society has painted this image in people’s minds that skinny is good whether you feel good about your weight or not. And people on the heavier side should be encouraged and told that they are beautiful. Mesomorph body types are praised for their body. Both ectomorphs and endomorph try their best to be like them.

Maybe if society just watched what they posted, it would save many teens from being less insecure about themselves. Teens could feel like they are fine the way they are, no matter how their skin tone, body type, or a certain part of them looks.