Our society's impact on the youth of our generation is becoming detrimental in increasing severity. Society is a standard, something we are taught from childhood to strive towards. The portrayal of perfection by stereotypical media is becoming increasingly unachievable.
As social creatures we seek approval, love and understanding. Unrealistically, having all these things is thought to bring happiness. Social media has taken this unrealistic model and given it a face. That face may be the women on the cover of a magazine or gym advertisement with a thin body and smiling face. It has become common belief that looking a certain way will bring happiness and allows a person to achieve the fallacy of perfection. Children and young adults at the most influential stages of life are being bombarded with these standards. It has led to a huge increase in eating disorders, self-harm, depression and suicide among other things.
The idea that unachievable concepts about body image, happiness, self-worth and perfection have led to children and young adults taking their own lives due to their inability to achieve these standards due to feelings of inferiority is appalling. The society created and shaped by us is taking the lives of its own. Children die every day in impoverished countries due to lack of basic things such as food, water and shelter, while children in first world countries commit suicide. This speaks so loudly to me. It says we are obviously doing something very, very wrong.
According to the Health and Social Care Information Center (HSCIC), the rate of hospital admissions for the treatment of eating disorders has increased by 16 per cent over the last year. One in 12 teenagers injures themselves. The Center for Disease control states the number of attempted suicides among teens has increased from 6.3 per cent in 2009 to 7.8 per cent in 2011 and is still on the rise. These statistics alone are horrifying but, my second concern is the negative reaction the public still gives to these issues. Eating disorders, self-harm, depression, and ultimately suicide are still viewed as disgraceful. Therefore people suffering from these conditions often do not seek help. They feel alone and isolated, fearing that others will not understand, will not accept and will even find them appalling.
This is a very real issue and the biggest reason sufferers do not seek help is because society still regards these conditions in a negative light.
Nadia El-Meadawy
Lethbridge