The Self-Concept Of Babies And Children

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Self-concept as defined on PsycCentral is:
“The manner in which one perceives oneself. The Self-Concept is derived from several factors including: certain personality traits, how you look, your personal values and life goals, and your place or role in life. The Self-Concept is the way babies and children start to understand the social world in relation to themselves. Relationships with relatives and friends/mentors influence the developmental process heavily. In childhood the Self-Concept tends to be tied to concrete or physical things like looks, items and skill levels. As the child grows, they learn about things like intrinsic (inner) characteristics and psychological differences due to the fact that they now have a larger network of peers …show more content…

Children given praise for accomplishments are prone to a more positive self-concept. Throughout life individuals are looking for feedback and support from others to shape the way they view themselves. Peer acceptance to adolescents is just as important as breathing to them. Nowadays teens are spending hours creating profiles projecting an idealized image. Taking selfie after selfie mimicking poses of their favorite celebrity trying to get the “perfect” picture to post online. Scroll through images, stalking profiles comparing themselves to others. Hindering their self-image by comparing their appearance to the air brushed, photo shopped versions of models that are what society deems to define beauty. Social media is drowning teens with the pressure to conform to society’s version of beauty. Sites such as Instagram and Facebook are not only being used as a way of communication but as a way to gage an individual’s worth or self-image. Teens are posting pictures with the intention of gaining “likes”. As if the amount of “likes” a picture on social media receives is connected to an individual’s self-worth somehow making that individual more relevant, prettier, or more successful than others. Today’s generation revolves around social media thus forging the desire for teens to conform to society’s definition of beauty resorting in self-destructing behaviors. On Simply Psychology Saul McLeod defines …show more content…

Today’s youth is so invested in what is “trending” today that they are losing their own identity. With all of the “how to” tutorials for hair, make-up, and nail designs all teenage girls are becoming exact replicas of whatever the latest trend is. It is becoming a cult. No longer are children trying to be unique they are all conforming to life size Barbie dolls of the hippest celebrity at that moment. Teens influenced by these images and desire for the perfect body are succumbing to depression, eating disorders and developing unhealthy standards at an age where these things should not be relevant. Chapter 7 Social Thinking and Social Influence in the text Adjust: Applying Psychology to Life defines these actions as Normative Influence. It states: “People often conform or comply because they are afraid of being criticized or rejected. Normative influence operates when people conform to social norms for fear of negative social consequences.” (Weiten/Hammer/Dunn, 2014) In almost every high school in the county you can find examples of students affected by normative influence. No child wants to be the outcast in school. With the epidemic of bullying in high schools many students are demonstrating normative influence. Some children reduce their risk of being bullied by dressing or acting in ways that make it easier for them to fit in. Children

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