In reading about all the hormonal changes that girls go through in high school, and seeing the higher rates of depression that females have when compared to men in our text, I couldn't help but be reminded of my teenage years.
One societal pressure that I think is specific to girls, in general, is the pressure to look a certain way. Girls really feel the pressure to be a certain weight, size, shape, etc. This really is nothing new, although, plastic surgery is a relatively "newer" trend. I couldn't help but think of the differences now compared to when I was in high school as it relates to the adolescents exposure to technology, as well. It seems that people are constantly taking "selfies" now and altering the way they look using technology to present to the public what they want everyone to think they look like all the time. This isn't "real." And, I think it just puts more pressure on girls to feel like they are supposed to be looking a certain way on a regular basis. Who has perfect makeup on all the time?
Not to mention the fact that I think much of social media seems to be posting every moment that one appears to be happy in. I think kids can portray a certain lifestyle they supposed live or what a typical day looks like for themselves, that is inaccurate. In doing so, other kids viewing this person's posts may end up feeling that they are not living life to the fullest or constantly feeling happy. They may begin to feel like they are doing something wrong or feeling a way that is not normal. However, I think the opposite is true. Life is a full of ups and downs and none of us are perfect. I hope that this trend in society isn't inhibiting teenagers from being open about how they really feel, as simply not talking about feeling depressed can be dangerous.
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