SEARCY, Ar. (LP) — Body Image is important to teens today. Most students want to be seen as attractive to others and will do anything to fix themselves. Statistics say that 53% of 13 year old American girls are not happy with their body, and the number grows to 78% by the time girls reach 17. Male body image has also grown from 15% to 45% in the last 25 years. Caleb Raper a senior at SHS says, “I believe that others put it in the mind of both men and women that they have to have the ‘perfect’ body to be attractive.”

Social Media is also a big part of teens feeling insecure about their body. Bryce Smith a freshman at SHS says, “The media puts the idea into people’s heads that they have to be perfect and have a certain body type.” In reality the models in the media, aren’t perfect and go through as much as normal people do. Many people also believe that you have to have blonde hair and blue eyes, be skinny, and have expensive clothes to be perfect or attractive. Caleb says, “If you are not happy about your body do it for you and your health, not for others.”

Parents influence body image as much as social media. Many students feel the need to change their body to make their parents proud. Insecurity in homes will lead to insecurity in public. Many people wear clothing that doesn’t show their body off, so they don’t get stared at or judged. Even people with confidence get judged for wearing what they want out in public, and it brings them down. Bryce says, “I often feel like people are staring at me and judging my figure and appearance because I don’t look like the preferred image the media puts out for people to look.”

Body shaming is happening nowadays within schools all around. Caleb says, “Body shaming at the school is definitely happening, I wish it didn’t but that’s high school.” Students at Searcy High School are making other students feel bad about their body and ruin their body image. Most people bring others down when they are insecure themselves. To prevent all of this together, you should better yourself to make you happy, not other people. If you see someone getting made fun of or being put down, go talk to them and help them out. No one should feel bad about themselves. Therefore, let others dress how they want and feel comfortable with themselves. If you, a student, are feeling down about something, visit our schools counselors.