As a teen, there are many things that are shown to us on a daily basis that those of past generations would not even believe. We are exposed to our families being torn apart (so much so that it's almost strange when a family is intact), our every word being shared with the world instantaneously through social media - and the ability of anyone and everyone to comment back on those shared thoughts, and of course the media itself.
Us teens have become so connected with the world that we've become blind to the wrongs that occur every single day and we've blocked out our family morals and values so as to adhere to a social norm. It's become okay and socially acceptable to talk about how ugly you feel. A common greeting in my high school was, "Hi, slut!" It wasn't meant to be condescending, and I think it may actually be helping the epidemic of teen suicides and the generally low quota of self esteem.
Hear me out. I used to have many a problem with self esteem. Yes, it's true. To be totally honest, I still struggle sometimes. However, I believe that I've been helped by the social phenomenon of brutal honesty. Prior to this movement, if I felt ugly I would take a razor blade to my wrist and tell my story in blood. After this movement, I snapchat a terrible picture of myself to my best friends and say, "I'm so ugly".
You may be thinking, well, how does this help? Plain and simple. The response I receieve back is either a good friend saying "No you're not" with an accompanying picture of sympathy, or an equally grotesque face saying, "Me too!". Technology and the every growing social phenomenon of total honesty have created a way for teens to feel like they are not alone. It's become okay to dress like a bum because you don't feel like getting ready. It's become okay to have a bad day. It's okay to cry in public. It's okay to celebrate good things.
