As I’m sure you all know, us millennials love our social media and we are always on it. Media can be a great tool for communication: it connects people from completely different parts of the world and that is truly amazing. However, many parts of the media are toxic to average people. It sets unrealistic standards for young girls and boys, standards that most people will never live up to. It’s toxic to our minds and self-image.

The media shows young and impressionable kids that they need to be perfect human beings. Girls are supposed to have flat stomachs, big boobs and butts, sun-kissed skin, perfect hair, manicured nails, straight teeth, and blemish-free skin. They are supposed to wear makeup, but not too much because they can’t look fake. They have to have all natural, long hair. As for boys, they are supposed to have rock hard abs, toned muscles, tan skin, be able to grow facial hair, and be over six feet tall. Only a small percent of the population has the ideal body image for both males and females, yet average girls and boys are being pressured by the media and society to have these body types. How is this OK? Boys and girls are being told at such a young age that if they aren’t “good enough,” they won’t be successful in life. How is this fair to any of these little kids?

It’s not. Because our society decides that girls that weigh over 100 pounds are overweight, girls are developing eating disorders from starving themselves to meet these standards of perfection. Boys that can’t lift over 300 pounds at the gym are deemed weak and need to work out more, so they are going and taking steroids to make themselves strong enough for society. The media is destroying a whole generation of innocent children. We have created a messed up world that idolizes Photoshop and Barbie Dolls. What happened to the world where curves were embraced and even sought after? The Greek Goddess Aphrodite was curvy and did not have a Barbie Doll physique, yet she was sought after by every gentleman and girls prayed to look like her. Why can’t our world be like that now? Why can’t we embrace that everyone has different bodies? Why can’t every body type be beautiful, both skinny and curvy?

We created this monster, so it’s our job to fix it. We need to learn to love not only other people body’s, but also our own bodies. We are all unique people with unique features, and we should embrace this! We need to all unite to stop with body shaming ourselves and others. It’s time to show these little boys and girls that they are perfect the way they are, no matter what.