Why Teenagers Are So Insecure 

By: Gregory Rogers

 

When you look at yourself into a mirror, what do you notice? People tend to be the most critical about themselves, they will constantly keep adjusting their hair, applying coat after coat of mascara, adjusting posture and angle of view to make themselves appear taller and thinner. You could say that teenagers have it the worst, as their body is going through physical and hormonal changes asthey are coming of age. They wonder what's next, where they will go to college, if they will go to college, if they will ever find a boyfriend/girlfriend.

 

"Everything has been set, parents are everything to you when you're younger. As you get older you become your own person and question your beliefs. With maturity you become more comfortable you own skin and lose most of those insecurities," said Miss. Rippel, counselor at R.L. Turner.

 

Teens are the most up to date with pop culture, they're checking out the new magazines, seeing how pretty their favorite idol is on the cover, and wonder why they don't look like them. The High School years are supposed to be some of the best years of someone's life, so naturally you want to look your best, however as the human body goes through puberty and people get their growth spurts you can expect there to be fluctuation in body size as weight distributes when you get taller.

 

"Physique, it's usually physique, or people who talk critically about something close and personal, more when people say something not politically correct, and the people who constantly want to be better," said an Anonymous RLT student when asked about what makes him feel insecure.

 

High School can be a hostile environment, everyone's hormones are raging, things are said that shouldn't be said, and things come out differently than expected. Little things like making fun of people with flip phones and ugg boots, or big things like minor acts of racism and homophobia. It's best not to judge, and keep opinions to yourself.

 

"LOOKS! If my makeup doesn't look it makes me insecure, and if I don't get along with someone and their friends grow a bias against me, I just think that's not right, and pre-Cal is so hard, I don't know anything and I feel like giving up," said another anonymous RLT student when asked about her insecurities.

 

People might argue that a boys insecurities and a girls insecurities will be opposite, but they actually are typically the same, at least in the underlying reason of wanting to fit in. As humans we seek kinship, we want to be surrounded by people who will accept us for who we are, and people who will not question our lifestyle choices. The problem is that our society puts emphasis on aesthetics, so from an early age we are taught that being smart, talented, young, thin, and beautiful are equivalent (or a requirement) with being accepted. "Everyone just wants to be accepted, when it comes down to it that's really what people want," said Ms. Rippel.

 

High School can sometimes be difficult, so it best to put worries about looks and popularity to the side, and focus on what's important which is your emotional and physical health.