by Cieara Wilson

Created on: December 09, 2008   Last Updated: June 29, 2009

The Real Reflection

It is in my opinion one of the most hated objects in the American home today, and while the mirror is undoubtedly unwanted it is ironically irresistible. Whether hand held, wall abound or simply in the form of the reflection of the toaster oven. Mirrors are everywhere, constantly reminding us of who we are, and for the majority of people, constantly reminding them that, what we see is not enough.

Self esteem defined by the American Hertiage Dictionary of the English Language simply means, "Pride in oneself". The American Heritage Dictionary though, could never describe or go into the real depth of how important self esteem is, and how holistically people are thirsty for positive self esteem. This pride in oneself effects many things in an individual's life, such as the type of people one associates with, decisions the person makes, and just the whole attitude of the person.

Sadly though, a lot of people in American deal with low self esteem, especially American teenaged girls. Based on a study done by, the Dove: Self Esteem Campaign "70% of girls aged 15 to 17 avoid normal daily activities due to feeling bad about their appearance.""And while there is not just one thing to name and blame for this problem, the media does have more than its fair share in influencing how young girls feel about themselves. Magazines, television and the radio are always talking about looks, how to be sexy, and what one needs to feel better about oneself. The media paints this image of, "the perfect girl", with flawless glowing skin, a gorgeous body, and stunning features. Coming from every direction there seems to be a new way to look better, whether it is avenues of cosmetic surgery, a new chic wardrobe, or a full blown revolution complete with lasik eye surgery, new sparkling white teeth, and incredible bust line all for the low price of a couple thousand dollars.

The problem with all this pressure and concern for looks is that many girls will never measure up to the girls in the magazines and television and this excessive focus on the superficial is literally weighing down on the self esteem and values of too many girls.

It really saddens me when I see, low self esteem in girls because it is as if a person who has no self worth is almost guarantee to go down the wrong path. Personal close friends of mine that were usually smart when it came to decisions, have made unwise choices concerning school, boys and peer pressure all because they never felt good enough.

I wish the focus in society was more on what really matters, such as morals, education, family, and love. Magazines geared toward today's teenage girl should put more emphasis on being a person of character, ethics and principles. Looks are nice, don't get me wrong, but they are not everything. Mirrors are simply a reflection of what's real, if one does not like what they see, I'm sure the problem is deeper than skin deep.

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