Who's Looking Back at YOU in the Mirror?

BODY IMAGE, December 2010, by Julia Marrocco (GCDA teen writer and Real Girl)

Who's Looking Back
at YOU in the Mirror?


Looking in the mirror is a simple task, one each of us do everyday. Whether it is in the morning before heading off to school, or on the go using compact mirrors, it’s something we girls do a lot. But how many of us truly like what we see in the mirror? How many of us look at ourselves and think we are beautiful or good enough? The truth of the matter is that seven out of ten girls believe they are not good enough (according to a Real Girls, Real Pressure National Study). Why is that? Why are we all so insecure, and furthermore, is there a way for us to get over our insecurities? Can we even come to appreciate the beauty each one of us has?

I asked some teenage girls from Canada; to tell me what they see in the mirror and what they think leads them to thinking that. Anne*, a 15 year old average-weight, girl from Toronto told me that when she looked in the mirror, she felt “disgusted”. She said, “I feel like I need to lose weight. My hair is ugly, and my face is even uglier. I feel repulsed by my body, and I’m sure other people think the same thing when they look at me.” She goes on to say that she has tried fad diets, but none of them worked. “I don’t understand why I look this way, and why I’m grossed out by my own body.” When I asked her what made her think like this, she admitted “I see people in the streets, on TV and in the movies. They always look so gorgeous and beautiful.”

Unfortunately, it’s not just Anne that feels that way; I’ve talked to many other tweens and teens who feel the same way. Some girls said that when they looked in the mirror, they felt as though they needed to gain weight. Being naturally thin made them feel odd. Others told me that like Anne, they felt “fat”, even though they were healthy and beautiful. Many of these girls said they wished to look like their favorite celebrities or the girls in magazines. Some even stopped in malls and on streets to point out thin girls while thinking “I wish I were that pretty.” When each of them looked into a mirror, the most awful phrase popped into their heads and out of their mouths, “I wish I looked different.”

Perhaps, you feel as they do. In a way, we all do. Like all the girls I spoke to, we all have our insecurities. Whether we believe we don’t have good enough hair, legs, eyes or stomachs, we are all, in some way unhappy with parts of ourselves. The question is why? In many ways, media affects how we view ourselves. Media is all around us, from the beautiful girls you see in ads on your morning bus ride, to the commercials you view on TV, to the magazines you flip through at home. The influence all media has upon us cannot be escaped. Media has set a standard for beauty. It tells young girls that if we don’t look a certain way, we can’t possibly be beautiful. This is where a lot of our early insecurities stem from.

One night, I was watching TV and I saw a commercial for an acne cream. I raced to the mirror and immediately examined my face, telling myself I needed to buy the product if I hoped to be as beautiful as the girl on TV. If we feel we are unlike the airbrushed perfection we see in the media, we immediately consider ourselves unattractive. Once comparing ourselves to the girls on TV, it becomes easier to compare ourselves to our friends, peers and even strangers on the street. Less often we start to think, “I have pretty eyes” or “My hair looks really good today.” Instead, we tend to focus on the negative parts about ourselves, not appreciating the gifts we have. Anne from Toronto admitted that she felt as though she needs to look a certain way, just to be accepted. We are constantly comparing ourselves to others, and we forget that the majority of young girls are just as insecure as us.

So, if we know that everyone is influenced negatively by media and that we are all to some degree insecure, how do we make it stop? Well, in many ways, the answer is simple. Tell yourself you’re beautiful. When you look in the mirror and your eye is drawn towards something you think is negative, try to make it positive. Take a deep breath, smile, and say, “I’m beautiful”. Take time out to think about things you like about yourself. What makes you special and unique? Ask your friends why they like you. I’m sure you will be surprised by the positive answers they will give you. Remember that none of us is the same. We can’t all look the way the celebrities and models look, but that doesn't make us any less beautiful. Also, consider that those images you do see of celebrities are often manipulated. They are not always original, and real to how the celebrity looks.

We are all beautiful and unique. Some of us have curly hair, some of us have straight. Some are thin, others are curvy. Some of us are tall, others short. We are who we are, so appreciate yourself! Look around, and see all the people that appreciate you! Remember that true beauty comes from deep within. So, next time you look in the mirror, tell yourself you are beautiful, just the way you are. I promise you, it is true!

~ Julia

ps: Julia is one of GCDA's upcoming Real Girls! Watch for her profile in 2011. If you like her article, post a comment below!


Comment

hannah grace
so...l ive always had body issues, and i just wnated otp let you know that thois articl;e has made me smile. i asked my friends what they think of me, and why they are my friends and they said they are my friends because i am beautiful.. i just want to thank you for being such a positve and inspirational girl..<3
Alex
JULIAAA! I am so proud of you! I always knew you had it in you.(i think) A truely inspiring article and I cant wait to see the sprring issue.. Love ya lots and keep up the greattt work!!! <3
:)
this is really good :)
Arend ( Well know to Julia)
Fantastic Julia! keep up the good work, you know girl I am probably the only 62 year old teenager answering this blog or whatever it is called. You are so wright, we are all beautiful as people each and everyone in our own way. In my own case all the muscles I had in my thirties have somehow found their way to my belly! Thats gravity Julia,and gravity knows no bounderies or age. love your work; .........smiles Arend

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