When was the last time you checked your social media?
A couple of minutes ago?
So how many likes did that selfie you just posted get?
Not as many as you planned?
And how did it make you feel?
If your answer is “unhappy about myself” — congratulations!
You’ve just become one of the many victims of the most captivating traps of our age.
You heard me right!
I just called social media with its #happy #beautiful #luxury a trap.
It lures you with its posh pictures of people traveling, working out, and “getting better
every day.”
Well, in fact, the real message it’s delivering, and I’m sorry to bring this to you, is that
you’re…gross.
Yeah, girl, it makes you believe you aren’t quite as fit, not quite as stylish, and a
tiny bit less popular than Instagram divas.
They smile at you from their well-arranged feeds and seem to never have a reason to be
upset about anything.
And they’re willing to sell you a ticket to their dream land!
All it takes is trying their workout routine, a dress that’ll turn men’s heads, or a
magical foundation that’ll change your face shape.
Otherwise, you’ll never be enough.
And it’s not just everywhere you scroll on your computer and mobile devices.
Those glossy girls look at you from magazine covers as if judging you for not following
along.
Whenever you enjoy your favorite red velvet cake or wear the sweatpants that make you
feel comfortable like nothing else can, they call out your name: “Stop right there!
You can’t do that!”
They decide what’s good for you.
They know best what’ll make you happy.
Any objections?
Well, yeah, if you have some, try to be yourself and post some unpolished reality.
Who’ll get more likes?
You or that Insta blogger with 17,000 followers?
The harsh truth is that it will be her.
But guess what?
(And I’m telling you this as a guy!)
You’re already beautiful.
You’re already perfect.
You’re already enough.
It’s your smile that makes the world go around, and you don’t need a filter to highlight
it or prove it.
That perfect body you’re striving for as seen online and that perfect face you can
only achieve with makeup won’t be with you forever.
And when they change — and they most likely will with age — when your #beauty fades
away, it will only make you feel more upset than before.
Still don’t agree with me?
That makes me really sad.
Another thing that breaks my heart is girls getting used to being judged by their physical
appearance from an early age.
I am talking about those Little Miss Sunshines, those tiny beauty queens.
They have to breathe in the toxic chemicals of hair spray, wear tons of makeup, fake tan,
and high heels, and get their little eyebrows waxed and their baby teeth whitened.
And appearance isn’t where it ends.
It’s also about attitude.
You always have to smile — even when your little heart is breaking because you want
to go on a play date with other kids and not hate them or compete with them.
You must be flawless, and your main and only goal in life should be proving to everyone
how perfect you are for the sake of victory.
The sound sleep you need as a developing little human?
Forget about that!
And since beauty pageants are held for kids as young as 18 months old, there’s a good
chance you literally won’t be able to say anything against it because kids normally
start communicating in simple sentences at the age of 2.
You know what shocked me recently?
I came across an article with the results of a study by Common Sense Media saying that
80% of 10-year-old girls these days have already been on a diet!
It looks like a lot of girls and boys aged 6 to 8 are concerned with extra weight.
Oh my!
When I was 7, I was concerned with the fact that I didn’t get a puppy for Christmas.
Where does all that dissatisfaction come from?
Something is telling me it has to do with parents who are unhappy with themselves or
tell their kids they need to drop a few pounds.
And, of course, it’s the same media that’s telling you to get thinner to be happier that’s
taken over the minds of little ones.
In 2004, a group of researchers from the University of South Florida looked into the matter, and
what they found was pretty interesting.
In 72% of movies, TV shows, and video games, the kind and positive characters were thin;
in 3 out of 4 videos, obese characters were on the evil side and not exactly role models.
So it’s no surprise when kids grow up to become adults who are dissatisfied with their
bodies.
I looked up the statistics from the International Food Information Council Foundation for 2018,
and it turns out one in 3 Americans is following a diet.
Of course, it’s not all about losing weight and often has to do with medical conditions
— but still.
At least half of the adult US population admitted that they’ve tried to lose weight at some
point.
The numbers for teens are about the same.
Should I tell you about the dangers of dieting, especially when you play nutritionist and
decide what’s good and bad for you?
How about when you stop eating altogether for the sake of “magazine cover beauty”?
Anorexia, bulimia, and other eating disorders aren’t exactly the best things you can experience
in life.
Even if it doesn’t go to that extreme, you’re likely to become weaker, find it way harder
to concentrate, have thinning hair, and, on the psychological side, be constantly dissatisfied
with yourself as it’ll never be enough — trust me.
The weight you lose also has a habit of coming back, so think about it: Is it really worth
the suffering, especially if you’re a teen whose body needs nutrients to grow and develop
properly!
Exercising like crazy without the supervision of a professional fitness trainer won’t
do you much good either.
And the waist training that seems to offer an instant fix for your belly with a tight
fabric corset isn’t harmless!
It can cause breathing problems, bruises, and harm your bones without narrowing a wide
ribcage.
But maybe it was nature’s big plan for you to have those adorable cheeks and curves,
so why question it?
You don’t want to become one of those living Barbie dolls, do you?
Speaking of them, girls who make it their life goal to look like Barbie live in different
countries across the world.
Every time I see them appear on the news or online, I ask myself just one question: Why?
Why would someone willingly give up their identity and invest tons of money into becoming
a walking human doll?
Like this one 55-year-old lady in the UK who spent over $3 million on over 300 cosmetic
procedures to look like her plastic idol.
And she gave her 7-year-old breast surgery vouchers to be redeemed when she turned 18!
Then there is a woman in the US who worked as a Barbie lookalike salesperson at the age
of 18.
She loved this image so much that she made it her goal to transform into Barbie.
She went through 5 breast surgeries and Botox.
Basic plastic surgery is something we’re all used to, but this lady took it one step
further and exposed herself to hypnotherapy.
She says it’s all about unlocking her unconscious mind and lowering her IQ to plastic doll level.
Does she get the public attention and approval so many of you see online?
Sure she does since her transformation is sponsored by donations from her fan page.
Even if you don’t go as far as getting plastic surgery and going through hypnotherapy to
transform yourself, you might have tried the stinging needles of lip injections.
Maybe you’ve gone through the agonizing pain of permanent makeup.
Yes, I’m talking to those girls who get their makeup tattooed onto their faces to
have permanent eye and lip lines and perfect eyebrows.
Here’s what I have to tell you, and I’m saying this with all my love: Stop right there.
You’re strong.
You’re beautiful.
You’re enough.
And even when your lip line is not perfect, your mind is.
Cherish it.
Love it.
And spread the word.
Is there something you’d like to change about yourself, or do you love yourself just
the way you are?
I challenge you to confess it all in the comments below.
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