Our Everly Mag Writing Leaders were asked the question, what do you think is the biggest pressure teens your age are facing today? We wanted to know what different types of pressure different teens might face and how we can all help each other with relieving some of this pressure.
This article was written by our writing leader Jenni. Get to know our Summer 2018 Leaders here!
We all live in a society with different views on the world. Everyone always has an opinion on how you should look, act, wear..ect. We all want to conform into society’s perception of beauty. But everywhere you go, everyone’s perception of beauty is different. It’s hard to find a perfect blend on how to please everyone when everyone’s opinions contradict each other. Your family may look down upon you about the way you dress, while your friends may praise you about it. It’s hard to find a healthy middle.
I grew up in an Asian household with strict views on the Western world. Outside my Asian household was a very urbanized community. To my family, I was always seen as “too white.” To my friends in the community I was seen as “too Asian.” To my family, my black hair was beautiful, but my tan skin was looked down upon. To my friends, they thought I would look better with a lighter hair color and that they thought my tan skin was beautiful. The opinions of these two worlds contradicted each other. Whose opinion was correct?
I remember thinking that my best friend was beautiful. One day as we were shopping, she explained to me how her family thought she was overweight and that she needed to hit the gym. I was so confused because I thought she was beautiful and perfect the way she was. But then I remembered, she came from a family where most of her siblings were models. Then the thought hit me, there will always be something about me that some people hate and some people love. Not everyone is going to love me for who I am.
As I get older I realize that there will always be people in the world who will have opinions about you. No matter how much you accomplish in your life, there is always someone out there who will want to break you down. There will always be someone out there who will think that you are not enough. It is important for everyone to realize that you don’t have to look or act a certain way for people to accept you. I think that some people haven’t realized that the times have changed. It’s ok to look, act, and wear what you want. If you want to dye your hair a crazy color, then dye your hair a crazy color (with your parent’s permission of course) and be happy about it.
What is not okay is to put someone down because they are different, because when you think about it everyone is different. That’s the beauty of society, that everyone is different and beautiful in their own way. You don’t have to conform a certain way to fit into society’s perception of beauty. There will always be someone out there who doesn’t like you, and it’s okay because your family and friends will always like you. Let’s stop trying to fit in. Let’s stop trying to act a certain way. Let’s stop trying to be the way society wants us to be. Let’s rise above the pressure to be a certain way and empower ourselves and other people to be who they want to be. Let’s stop trying to change ourselves and learn that being yourself is already enough.
Have you ever been caught between two worlds? Comment below!
All articles submitted to Everly Mag are property of Everly Mag and the writer only and may not be copied, reproduced, or duplicated in any publication or entity. Everly Mag © 2018. All Rights Reserved.
Check out Everly Mag on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.
Feature Image Credit: Everly Mag
