Many young people today are too concerned about the way they look. What are the implications of this - Essay Example

The 90s saw that problem slowly become a social issue as teenage boys and girls began to battle real illnesses such as anorexia, bulimia, self hate, etc., all of which had its roots in the way that the youth of the time were becoming consumed by the way they looked and were seen or perceived by the others in their age group. The 2000s have seen the problem of image issues coming to a head due to the undue influence of the internet, reality shows, Hollywood, and other unrealistic portrayals of youth in terms of social acceptance and coolness.

Bullying, suicide, eating disorders, and the like are now seen in children as young as the age of 12. Mass media has forced the children of today to be more conscious of their looks like never before, and it comes with a great cost for the children. This paper will present some of the implications of the youth being too concerned with their looks these days and offer a few suggestions towards the end as to what to do about this youth problem that is spiraling out of control. To begin with, the proper term to use when discussing the fixation of the youth with their looks is “body image issues”.

These are the thoughts and emotions that a teenager feels when he or she sees his appearance in the mirror. It described the way that he or she perceives the outside describing his or her body in relation to what is considered normal in our current society. When the teen concerned views the body in a negative manner, this is known as a “Negative Body Image” which is also sometimes called “body dissatisfaction”. Such kinds of unhappiness with ones body stems commonly from their dissatisfaction with their weight, size, shape, or height.

These often result in negative feelings that affect the self esteem of the teen which often leads to negative moods and disturbances (Kids Helpline, 2013). Furlong (2009) believes that the young people of today have a poor