Teens spend about 6-9 hours a day on social media, scrolling through Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube. Kids spend a sizeable amount of the day on websites where celebrities and models post pictures of their digitally altered and perfectly sculpted bodies. Girls see these images and compare themselves only emphasizing every insecurity they have. They see photos of these flawless women and aspire to look like them. These fabricated photos distort a girl’s image of a “perfect” body. Young girls get the worst of it nowadays, because their age allows for their views to easily be tampered with. Due to their young age, they are easily influenced from these falsities. And to make matters worse, in order to achieve these body types, many girls resort to unhealthy means. If these influences can be stopped, girls are able to reach their potential. 
Many teen girls have a numerous amount of self-doubts, whether its weight, stretch marks, acne etc. but while on social media girls see countless photos of models who have flawless skin and a defined figures. Among high school students, 44% are attempting to lose weight. And the worst part is that sometimes these images are so damaging girls will turn to dangerous behaviors to obtain that “perfect” body shape. Many girls cut out meals, fast or are even anorexic and bulimic hoping to one day reach that stick sized figure like the models. Most of the times these problems start earlier and develop as the girls grow, but if we can stop these insecurities from growing, young girls are capable of achieving their dreams.
Some can say “these picture can inspire girls to get fit and want be thinner and have a healthier body”. When in actuality, the majority of girls feel the exact opposite.  As a 15 year old teen, with firsthand experience I know when I see a picture of a beautiful girl I first look at everything I don’t like about myself and compare it to her. I see her thin body and flowing hair and feel my self-confidence lower with each one of her perfections. Most girls don’t look at models and say “she makes me want to get it shape” they see her flawless physique and say “why is she so much prettier and skinnier than me? I can’t compare to her”. No girl looks at a photo and is marvelously inspired to get in shape.

Sure there are other causes to a female’s low self-esteem. But social media counts for a profound majority of it. In fact, girls in 5th – 12th grade, 69% reported that images influenced their idea of a “perfect” body shape. Girls at a young age are more susceptible to these pressures. 40% of all 9 and 10 year olds have dieted and 70% of 6-12 year olds want to be thinner. No one wants their sweet and innocent six year old daughter, walking in on her first day of 1st grade afraid to talk to anyone because she is ashamed of her body. No little girl should ever feel as though she is not worth it, she has too much ahead of her to have insecurities hold her back. The earlier girls are exposed to social media, the longer they’re effected and the harder it will be to gain confidence again.
If girls idolize bodies that aren’t attainable and are unhealthy to have, then girls will always feel like they are useless and result to unsafe methods to achieve their dream body. 75% of girls with low self-esteem reported in engaging activities like cutting, smoking or disordered eating.  Social media is so persuasive, girls will extensively damage their body for an unhealthy dream. Many eating disorders are remarkably challenging to overcome. Even after finally getting help, these girls will go through a lengthy recovery, suffering for months trying to repair their body. And if anorexia and bulimia aren’t bad enough, studies have found girls who engage in unprotected sex often have lower self-esteem. So many girls desperately crave the attention and validation of their self-worth that it causes them to result to seriously dangerous behaviors. But in their mind, after so much corruption from social media, finally reaching their body image is worth the damage of their methods.

A girls imperfections are everything that make her unique and not something that makes her unattractive. Falsified photos posted by celebrities tell a girl that her imperfections make her worthless. It is hard to be proud of your body when every time you open Twitter the “perfect” models plastering the site are reminders of everything you’re not. Every girl deserves to feel and know she is beautiful and have the confidence to believe that a few pimples doesn’t mean she is less than worth it.