Embrace Yourself!

Media has helped people in many ways but has media helped our soul? Self esteem, is influenced by everything that matters to us for example our parents, teachers, and media.. yes media too! theres been studies that have shown that media influences a child just as much as parents do. Believe it or not, media has an important role in developing a child's self esteem. As i've interviewed people for my creative project, I've come to realize that this is true most of the people that I've interviewed have said that media has impacted the way they think about themselves and the way they viewed things.  

Taking Action

                                                               Girls Inc. of Lynn 
As part of my self esteem project, I have decided to volunteer at the Girls Inc. of Lynn. Today was my first  interview with the volunteer coordinator, and within the next week I'll be able to start my volunteer work. I'll be participating on mondays from 4pm to 6pm by helping the girls out, with their homework. I'll also be volunteering in a workshop that is dedicated to helping girls build self confidence, and set their own identity apart from the messages that media creates. The girls get the message program a media literacy program which teaches girls to analyze the media and its effect on girls and women so they can resist the pressure to live up to unrealistic and some times unhealthy expectations put on girls.  

Preparing our Kids for a Better World

     Self-esteem is the development of a sense of self. It is one’s physical, emotional, social, intellectual and educational traits. It is said that self-esteem is one of the most important development task of adolescence. It helps kids understand who they are, and sculpts them into confident individuals. Over the years self-esteem among youth has dropped, making low self-esteem a very common issue within today’s youth. The youth are our future; they are the foundation to a better world, in ordered to live in a better world we must educate kids and help sculpt them into strong and confident individuals. By ignoring this issue we are not only affecting kids, but we are also harming ourselves.

      Media has had a lot to do with this drastic change. Although media has had a positive outcome with society it has been proven that media has effected society by projecting a stereotype for both men and women in appearance as well as, body weight. This causes, kids to become ashamed of themselves which, ultimately leads to change in personality, just to fit in it with the crowd. Two other contributing factors to this social problem are, Mental, or physical abuse, such as taunting or bullying. Kids who are victims of bullying in younger years repeat the cycle of bullying, usually because they are trying to make themselves feel better by belittling others. However, this does not help boost their self-esteem, if anything it only makes them lonelier by estranging others from them. Also lack of relationships with peers, and traumatic childhood memories play a role in developing low self-esteem. For example, during a traumatic divorce, an adolescent may experience hurt from the inflicted on either parent causing the child’s self-esteem to go down and be an impediment to a future intimate relationship. Lack of affection from parents or family members also lowers children’s self-esteem. Kids tend to believe if their parents are not able to love them, than who will.  

    Ultimately, bullying, lack of affection, and media will trigger many negative and unhealthy behaviors in youth because, a child with low self-esteem will usually suffer from depression. Making the child’s feelings of worthiness, failure, and shame intensify. As low confidence increases, the possibility of rebellious acts increases as well. Such as running away from home or talking about running away. Also, substance abuse is effect from low self-esteem, teens are mostly at risk in using drugs and alcohol as an attempt to “self medicate” their frustration, and depression. However, substance abuse weakens an individual, making them more vulnerable to end up in addiction. These are usually signs of cry for help.

      Low confidence can also cause a child to have low energy, and concentration difficulties, leading to poor attendance, grades, and behavior at school. Eating disorders are also generated by low self-esteem. Girls are typically the ones inflicted with eating disorders like, anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating but certainly not the only ones subject to these disorders. Most eating disorders start with appearance insecurities, which are usually due to stereotypes projected by media. Violence in kids is also another behavior that kids endure when, under low self-esteem. Self-injuries, such as cutting, burning, suicide and other kinds of self-mutilation are also associated with depression and some sort of low confidence.

     If this problem is not readdressed, the consequences will intensify, causing a weaker and less productive world. Self-esteem is the fundamental building block of an individual’s performance. In order, to potentially have successful doctors, scientists, and lawyers we need to make sure our kids are ready to take on that role by increasing their self-esteem.

    There are various ways to preventing the cycle of low self-esteem.  Although we’ll never be able to completely prevent media from projecting what they want, there are other ways to help avoid a child from viewing these images and shows. For example, limiting the amount of sexual content, and violence kid’s watch will help turn kids away from, the importance media tries to portray in certain stereotypes. This can be done by blocking, adult rated channels or, limiting the amount of time a child watches television. Increasing a child’s outdoor activities will make a child want to spend more time outside rather than indoors watching TV. Setting up a bedtime for kids will also prevent kids from watching adult shows that are given late at night.

     Setting up outside school programs will also help increase a child’s self-esteem. This will help children find comfort outside of their homes and schools, which will prepare them for the real world. Also by interacting with other kids, the will live a healthier social life and be less likely to feel lonely. Spending time and connecting with other adults will make kids feel secure, and loved. Children who tend to look up to a specific individual in their life will be less likely to develop rebellious behaviors because they want to be like their role models, or shine for their role models.

   Kids start to develop an understanding for who they are from k-6^th grade, if schools were to provide self-esteem or self-evaluation classes kids would be more likely to understand who they are at a younger age making them less vulnerable to the effects of media, bullying, and teasing. Classes could provide talks and speeches on confidence, and the effects that media could have on one if, followed. The class could also, provide show and tells, and talent shows which would, provide kids with a broad amount of  knowledge on things that matter to them the most, and it will also expose their hidden talents. Classes should set up different work stations with four or less different kids each day. This will allow kids to interact with other students aside from their groups of friends, and minimizing the amount of kids in each group will allow them to get to know one another more which, will mostly likely, make them gain mutual respect for one another. Class days with, parents involved should also be part of the school curriculum. Making parents a part of the kids education, will not only make a child closer to their parents but it will also give the child a sense of importance which, always tends to boost child self-esteem.

If these solutions are to be implanted within our society not only will we minimize the amount of kids with low self-esteem but increase the productiveness in society. Confident individuals will become leaders of a better and happier world, only if this issue is not ignored anymore.

Medias influence

Over years now, Media has had a great influence on youth. Media sends out a message of the stereotypical person were suppose to be. As, Critley Lynn King said in the Body image: questions, issues and answers article, this effects our youth with the way they respond to life and their confidence. I completely agree with what Lynn king, wrote in the article because I do feel like media has a way of portraying an image for people to follow or live up to.

Medias stereotypes has had a huge impact on the life's of the kids in America even though, Body image and low self esteem is a Worldwide issue, media in the  US has made much more harm to youth than anywhere else. With even, celebrities like for example, Britney Spears, or Miley Cirus, whom kids look up have set an example of sex and body image. Medias affects on kids and their body image has gotten way out of hand and has to be readdressed.   

Define Self confidence in your Own Style

                                                           Define Your Style

   Growing up I always dreamt of one day being able to fill my closet with designer clothing, Dolce, Gucci, Prada, Versace etc., but who hasn’t dreamed of designer clothing? We’re all guilty of this. People always seem to forget what true style is, and misinterpret it with their designer wishes, or fashion dreams. Style isn’t about the amounts of money we spent on a dress, or on a pair of heels. Style is about our personality, comfort, and imagination all wrapped into one. Style is what defines us; it’s our personality and confidence shining through our appearance. It’s a form of expressing our inner selves.

    Nowadays people get caught up with what media says we’re supposed to wearing. Today more often than ever, we’re told how to buy the right jeans, to diminish our lower back or, what shirt to wear to reduce our curves. Style is about Confidence, it’s being able to wear whatever you like without having to think if your bottom looks too big.

      We’ve all heard it “the top ten latest fashionable trends”. People, Vanity Fair, Cosmopolitan etc. all these magazines, and other forms of media always lead people on to believe that the latest trend is style. It seems like the art of creating our own style has been forgotten and replaced with a dictatorship of fashionable trends but what does trendy clothes says about us? I have class, I have money, I only shop label clothing. Somewhere along the lines we’ve all followed the crowd because, we find it easy to fit in, or it makes it easier to pick out an outfit, but trendy clothing only makes people lose their true identity behind all the glam and designer clothing. On the other hand, Finding your own style and, projecting yourself through your clothes can be a lot more complicated, but when you create yourself without following guidelines that’s the moment you become stylish.

     Looking back, I was a lot more stylish then, than now. I would wear what I felt comfortable in. There was something in wearing the overly baggy sweatpants or my loose ripped jeans with my comfortable puma shoes that made me feel good about myself. It was my clothes that did the talking for me, they told the story of a young, carefree, full of life girl. Now as I look at myself, I see how much I’ve changed, but I also see how my style has been influenced by my past, present, and everything else that lies ahead of me. My style is embedded in every single little piece of thread of the clothing I own.

     The most important part about style is about being able to feel free and expressing who you are. Style is wearing what you want to wear. If mixing and matching a Prada jacket with Nike shoes is your style then wear it with no shame. There’s nothing more stylish than being yourself. Make an impression and, do it with style.

Problems Facing Todays Youth

Children are influenced by parents, and people whom they look up to and it is said that media influences kids just as much as parents, educators, and professionals do. Today’s youth face many problems, because of how media portrays sex, body image, and appearance. This causes children to hide their true personality and become ashamed of whom they are. This can ultimately lead to lack of confidence and, low self esteem in children.

     Low self esteem can affect a child from reaching their full potential and, affects their performance in school as well as, in social groups. Children k-6, are at risk the most because it is through this age that kids start to build a healthy and strong self esteem and, children throughout this age range are also a lot more vulnerable to judgment. 

     Children are the foundation to a healthy and, happy environment. With strong and confident individuals, the world will be a better place. I believe good principals of confidence should be taught to children because, if the children of our nation are confident in themselves they’ll be able to reach their full potential, and they’ll also be able to confront and surpass the conflicts that life faces them with. Children should be our main concern when it comes to making a better world because, children are our future.
    

Being the change: Initiation

        Preparing our kids of Today for Tomorrow

Our world depends on our children and, its our responsibilities to help sculpt the youth into independent, confident, and strong individuals. The circumstances that life at times confronts children with, can lead to lack of confidence and, low self esteem in kids because of this, children do not always live up to their full potential. There are many ways to prevent these things from happening. I believe that with volunteering at different organizations that support kids, for example the Boys and Girls club or, the youth center it will help us understand where these kids are coming from. It will also, allow us to form a relationship with the kids and make it easier for kids to open up. Motivative speeches and conversations about embracing ourselves will help kids become more comfortable and confident in their own skin and, in who they are.