How Social Media Is Driving A Dangerous New Trend For Teen Girls
17August

How Social Media Is Driving A Dangerous New Trend For Teen Girls

Written by Craig Rogers, Posted on , in Section Must Reads

Teen girls have seemingly always held onto drastic and in some cases dangerous beliefs when it comes to determining the ideal body type. The prevalence of eating disorders in the lives of young women should be indication enough.

Females in general are often driven to develop distorted perceptions about what the recipe for beauty is. Magazines, tv and movies have all played their historic part in establishing what women should look like. Perhaps no other single factor has shaped the way that girls believe they should look than the fashion magazine. Sometimes style trends can leave parents of teen girls clueless and unsure what warning signs to look for.

Older magazines like Vogue and Elle, along with magazines such as Nylon, which caters to teen girls, perpetuate a nearly impossible ideal of beauty.

Fashion models are less made than born. The physique of the fashion model almost never has much to do with exercise. Instead, a combination of genetic and environmental factors usually determines whether someone will naturally arrive at the 'model look'. And yet, that doesn't stop teen girls from trying to emulate the nearly impossible figures that many such women maintain.

This is especially bad for teen girls, who may develop lifelong attitudes toward their body. For many girls, that means a lifelong of self-loathing and impossible goal setting, eating disorders and yo-yo dieting.

How the Internet Perpetuates the Teen Girl Body Image Crisis

Making matters worse is the fact that the internet has facilitated a culture where images are traded on Tumblr, Facebook, Pinterest and other social networks as well as on blogs, depicting the most extreme examples of weight loss imaginable.

One new trend, known as the thigh gap, is leading some girls to develop extreme dieting behavior and impossible exercise routines. In addition to the worrisome physical problems of chasing an impossible goal, the psychological implications are profound.

thigh gap is seen when a girl's thighs do not touch even when her feet are touching. It is near impossible to achieve, though it can be seen on some runway models.

There is almost nothing worse than being fat, in the minds of teen girls. This double edged sword cuts both ways, hurting the self-image of girls who struggle to maintain a healthy weight, tipping the scale toward obesity, while setting otherwise healthy girls down a path of dangerous habits.

Help young women understand that healthy is beautiful. That false conceptions of beauty are not only skin deep, but will lead to dire health complications down the road.

If you know a young girl whose ideas about her body image are unrealistic or may have lead her to develop an eating disorder, call Trinity Teen Solutions at 1-855-631-4424.