A Self Image Epidemic.
Hello Lovelies. I'm Jordan Nicole :) I was fortunate enough to be born in the year 1992 and yet I have grown up in a world that makes me feel ashamed to sit here and tell you that I wear a size 10 in jeans. I am actually embarrassed to admit this fact. I feel shame about my weight and the way my body looks. I think less of myself than people who are more similar to societies ideals. How can any self respecting woman sit here and admit that she is so uncomfortable with her body? I have simply been compared to "perfection" my entire life and, like it would any human being, it has affected my view of myself.
In a world where we hear the word epidemic in relation to disease nearly every day, I think that we are letting even bigger issues go undiscussed. In many ways there is an epidemic occurring as I type this that isn't spread through the air or by touch, but by words and hate. The disease that I am referring to doesn't involve bacteria or antibiotics... It lives within a subculture of our society and breeds like wildfire when it is given the right environment and sustenance. The media supplies the life source and society supplies the means for circulation.
Negative Body Image.
It is a disease. It is a thing that is impacted by society every day. We are born into a world that has an idea of exactly what our bodies should grow to look like. There are no factors which excuse not looking this way. It doesn't matter what your genetics have to say about the matter. You should be doing everything in your power to live up to what is beautiful.
This mindset has led to an enormous issue on our hands. We have taught generations of women that they are basically ugly, and therefore worthless. We have set a precedent of determining worth in terms of beauty and I for one am tired of it. The real factor which propelled this issue into a full blown epidemic was the introduction of the internet into our environment.
The anonymity which is supplied by the internet has fueled so much hate of other people that society can no longer see that shaming someone else based on physical traits is actually cruel. We are so desensitized to acts of hatred that we don't see them as the problem that they are.
With all of the steps we have taken toward women being equal, it seems that we should be able to sit in a bath suit by the pool without feeling out of place. I realize that some of my insecurities stem from my own self esteem problems, which I have spent years improving, but at the same time there is an endless line of women standing beside me who feel the same way. It is 2015 and this can not be blamed on "hysteria" anymore.
The media have spread a disease which they offer no antidote for.
I think that the women on the big screen, on the small screen, and on the pages of magazines are beautiful. They are often stunning. What they aren't is perfect. Perfection is a dream that has no place in reality. They are beautiful but they are not what I need to look like. I should not aspire to be them someday. Firstly, I am genetically different than the majority of those women. Secondly, I should not aspire to be anyone but myself anyways!
The media could certainly help to cure the disease which it has spread through society, but we are not dependent on them. Love is always the solution to hate. Self love is the ultimate cure for self hate.
I love who I am. In my opinion, I am a wonderful person.
giving, caring, loving, smart, determined, responsible, nurturing, opinionated, educated, ditzy, flawed, learning, changing, forgiving, growing, optimistic, realistic, analytical, empathetic.
These are all words that I would sit here and use to describe myself. Note the lack of physical traits. These are the only things that should matter. I am the only person who I need to live up to. I am the only person who needs to love me.
I was part of the problem. I am becoming part of the solution.
Join me.
Negative Body Image.
It is a disease. It is a thing that is impacted by society every day. We are born into a world that has an idea of exactly what our bodies should grow to look like. There are no factors which excuse not looking this way. It doesn't matter what your genetics have to say about the matter. You should be doing everything in your power to live up to what is beautiful.
This mindset has led to an enormous issue on our hands. We have taught generations of women that they are basically ugly, and therefore worthless. We have set a precedent of determining worth in terms of beauty and I for one am tired of it. The real factor which propelled this issue into a full blown epidemic was the introduction of the internet into our environment.
The anonymity which is supplied by the internet has fueled so much hate of other people that society can no longer see that shaming someone else based on physical traits is actually cruel. We are so desensitized to acts of hatred that we don't see them as the problem that they are.
With all of the steps we have taken toward women being equal, it seems that we should be able to sit in a bath suit by the pool without feeling out of place. I realize that some of my insecurities stem from my own self esteem problems, which I have spent years improving, but at the same time there is an endless line of women standing beside me who feel the same way. It is 2015 and this can not be blamed on "hysteria" anymore.
The media have spread a disease which they offer no antidote for.
I think that the women on the big screen, on the small screen, and on the pages of magazines are beautiful. They are often stunning. What they aren't is perfect. Perfection is a dream that has no place in reality. They are beautiful but they are not what I need to look like. I should not aspire to be them someday. Firstly, I am genetically different than the majority of those women. Secondly, I should not aspire to be anyone but myself anyways!
The media could certainly help to cure the disease which it has spread through society, but we are not dependent on them. Love is always the solution to hate. Self love is the ultimate cure for self hate.
I love who I am. In my opinion, I am a wonderful person.
giving, caring, loving, smart, determined, responsible, nurturing, opinionated, educated, ditzy, flawed, learning, changing, forgiving, growing, optimistic, realistic, analytical, empathetic.
These are all words that I would sit here and use to describe myself. Note the lack of physical traits. These are the only things that should matter. I am the only person who I need to live up to. I am the only person who needs to love me.
I was part of the problem. I am becoming part of the solution.
Join me.
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