How do insecurities affect the lives of teens everyday? Mallika Kumar Salma Siddiqui Nilam Trivedi Health A

What is an Insecurity? An insecurity means to lack in self-confidence or assurance. It’s something that makes a person feel vulnerable to attack, generally emotionally, resulting in anxiety. It’s not being comfortable with one’s self. Ex. Feeling ugly, not being comfortable with your body, not being accepted by the people around you, not meeting standards, feeling stupid, feeling hated or unloved, etc.

Why People Become Insecure People feel this way when they don’t meet standards, or feel that they stand out in some negative way. –Emotional scarring –Pop culture –Issues in location –Body Image

Emotional Wounds Some feel that they are to blame for: –Parent’s divorce The child feels that their parents did not love him/her enough to stay together (though that is hardly ever the case). –Death of a loved one Survivor’s guilt plays a factor when one sees that a friend or family member’s life has been taken. They think things like “Why couldn’t it have been me?” They believe that the “mistake” they made could happen again, and so they try to protect others around them by isolating themselves from the others. –Rejection by a loved one The rejected will feel that he/she is not “good enough” for the pursued, and will take desperate measures in trying to fit that person’s standards.

Pop Culture Everyone wants to be like the model, the singer, or the actor Pop culture taints teenagers’ ideas of what should be in their lives –Images of drug use and sexual activity are ubiquitous, influencing the initiatives of others. Stick thin figures, expensive clothing, cars, and being the center of attention is often displayed, and conforming to that expectation is difficult for some, so they strive towards that goal through drastic measures –This often results in eating disorders, depression, and shying away from friends and family.

Surroundings Surroundings play a large role in affecting teenagers –Parents often put pressure on their children, and when they don’t meet expectations, they feel that they have failed in some way. –When one becomes the “new kid” in a fresh setting, he/she is pressed to dive into the mainstream to be accepted. –Some people feel that they are not as smart as those around them, so they do not socialize with others.

Body Image Body image tears people apart in many ways. They believe that if they do not look a certain way, they will remain unloved, resulting in a variety of dilemmas. Teenage girls and boys feel pressures to be thin and/or muscular. These conditions are difficult for some to meet because of things that they cannot help such as: –Bone structure –Metabolism –Mental and physical disorders Not meeting these standards can cause teens to turn to drastic measures, including eating disorders and steroid use.

How Insecurities Make us Feel Insecurities have many consequences, especially during teenage years –The prefrontal cortex (part of the brain that causes people to think sensibly) does not operate correctly, because it is not fully matured. Insecurities make people feel suicidal, depressed, under attack, pressured to meet standards, etc.

Shocking Statistics 75% of teen girls would trade their body for a celebrity’s 71% of all teens have wished for plastic surgery because they don’t like how they look 51% of teens say that the pressure to look perfect is too intense 66% of girls criticize their own body every day 52% of teen girls think they’re not likable because of how they look or how much they weigh 72% of teens know that their appearance will be judged every day at school 1 in every 3 teens is depressed 30% of teens commit suicide

Statistics from IA Student Survey 33% of surveyed students reported to criticizing themselves on a daily basis. 50% of students reported to criticizing themselves a few times a week. 50% of surveyed students are constantly worried about how people see them. Only 12.5% of surveyed students feel confident about the way they look. When asked, “Explain how an insecurity affects you everyday” students responded: -“I feel insecure about whether people like me, since I’m shy and I don’t hang out with a lot of people. I also feel insecure about whether I am perceived as smart or not, since I worry people will think I’m just a dumb blonde or something. I feel like I have to prove I’m smart and good at things.” -“The biggest insecurity that I have is about my appearance (beauty/weight). This affects my everyday because of the way that I perceive myself and the way I think others perceive me. It embarrasses me everyday, and sometimes makes me uncomfortable when others look at me.” -“The major insecurity I tackle is about how I look. I know that going to school everyday, people will be thinking and whispering about me. And that bothers me a lot every single day.” When asked, “Do you change yourself to fit in with others?” students responded: -“I think I do to a certain extent in order to fit in.” -“I think it’s pretty much necessary in order to fit in with groups that are different from your own.” -“Yes, in front of others that I don’t know that well because I want to fit in. Or else, they’ll think I’m weird or something.”

How to Become Secure It is a lot harder than it sounds, but it is not impossible to block out negative comments and know who you are, without trying to change that. 25% of IA students believe this is an effective method of raising self esteem. Because some teens believe that they have no place in life, try something new, find something that you’re good at, and stick with it. It will give you a sense of pride and place in the world, something majority of surveyed IA students agreed was a way to increase self esteem. Don’t let minor incidents get you down. Don’t over exaggerate during bad situations, they could just turn worse for you. Talk about it! People understand, they don’t want to watch you suffering through it.

Importance of this Subject Most of us have gone through an insecure phase, and for some of us, have even been scarred by them. We don’t want anyone to feel that way, so it is important to educate people about feeling insecure, and how scary it is for families and friends to watch you go into seclusion and sometimes throw away your life. It’s common and infectious. Don’t make yourself vulnerable to it. We picked this topic to educate you all on this important struggle that teens face on a daily basis. Now, take the initiative to help friends when they need it and help others build high self esteem.

Enough said

Works Cited Brown, Nancy L. "How to Improv - Parent a Teen!" Healthline - Health Search Engine and Medical Information. 4 Mar Apr Dew, Diane. "The Troubles Teens Face.“ 11 Mar Apr "How Can I Improve My Self-Esteem?" KidsHealth. 8 Apr “Overcoming Insecurities and Nervousness.” Help With Family And Life Problems. 14 Apr Perera, Karl. "Building Esteem FAQ." Building Self Esteem. 8 Apr "Self-esteem for teens (Behavioral Health Advisor).” 2005 ed RelayHealth. Health and Wellness Resource Center. Gale. 14 Apr Stevenson, Jessica. "Teens and Body Image - Body Image Information and Tips for Teens." Teen Advice. 8 Apr "Teen Smoking." Teen Drug Abuse. 8 Apr *Special thanks to the IA students who provided us with our survey results.