Teenage Girls Wear Stereotypes

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Recommended: Media and its influence on body image

Women have always been under extreme pressure to look a certain way. These double standards are news to nobody. However, lately they have been pushed on younger audiences. Teenage girls have to deal with a great deal of compulsion to look pretty, and the strive to meet these demands can have negative impacts on both their mental and physical health. A struggle among many Americans today is body image, particularly with weight, and no group faces this at quite the rate of teenage girls. The percent of teenage girls who are or think that they should be on a diet is at 53%, and the percent of girls from ages 15-17 who have acknowledged having an eating disorder is at a frightening 13%. The percent of 10 year old girls who are afraid of being …show more content…

That would be hypocritical of me, seeing as I wear a pound of it per day. Girls should be allowed to express themselves in any way and to look however they want. However, the trouble comes when girls are expected to wear makeup at all times and begin to feel uncomfortable without it. At least one in five girls between the ages of 8 and 18 who have worn makeup before associate their “bare face” with feeling insecure, unattractive, and unappealing, and over a quarter of girls who regularly wear makeup rarely or never leave home without it (“From Barbies to Blush - New Survey Reveals Young Girls Are Wearing Makeup Earlier Than Ever To Hide Their Insecurities”). Personally, I feel incredibly insecure leaving the house without at least concealer and mascara on. This is the effect of years of growing up seeing airbrushed magazine covers, advertisements targeted towards girls, making them feel inadequate in order to sell a product, and other unrealistic cultural messages. Just watch an episode of Toddlers and Tiaras. This can cause girls to have a negative self-image and begin self destructive behaviors, not to mention acne cosmetica, hormone imbalances, eye infections, and more (Alvarez). Makeup is a creative and fun thing, but it is no longer enjoyable when you are forced to wear it because you feel like something’s missing without

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