SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS
- Madison Garrett
- Nov 29, 2018
- 2 min read
Updated: Dec 4, 2018
Love Yourself First by: Morgan Cooper
“There’s an unrealistic expectation that you’re trying to meet every time you post a picture." -Demi Lovato
What seemed to be every night of middle school, my mother would tuck me in and softly whisper, “You are beautiful just the way you are.”
She began to sound like a broken record quite honestly. If I heard her say that simple phrase one more time, I was confident my head would explode. No matter what, she was my mom and she was just telling me this because she had to, right?
That’s certainly what I thought. What I didn’t realize, was that my mom was trying to protect me from every judgement and criticism I would face out in the ‘real world’.
If I could love myself the way I am and not allow others to dictate my perception of beauty and self-worth, that would be quite a beautiful thing. However, our society perpetuates an unrealistic idea of what beauty is. If one does not fit that mold, then there must be something wrong with them.
I would try to convince her to let me highlight my hair, tan my skin, whiten my teeth, get eyelash extensions, oh how the list goes on. And then what? What would be next? How far would I be willing to go to change who I was in order to become what I thought society wanted me to be? Would I finally be the kind of “beautiful” that I felt was right for the world?
As any angsty teen would, I began to idolize the models I saw. I could have sworn their thin legs and flat tummies were a reflection of the better lifestyle they had because they were so perfect and beautiful. It was with the help of one particular actress and singer that my thoughts began to change.
Grammy-nominated and multiplatinum singer, songwriter, activist and philanthropist Demi Lovato combats this notion by using her social media platform to positively influence her fans. Over the years, Demi has become a role model for young women as she openly and honestly shares her story with the world.
INSIDER reports that, “Demi Lovato has famously used social media as a vehicle of positivity, evidence that recovery is possible, and a visual way to encourage self-love.” Lovato told INSIDER, “There’s an unrealistic expectation that you’re trying to meet every time you post a picture.”
Lovato has a long history with substance abuse, bipolar disease, eating disorders and has suffered mental illness and yet, she continues to fight with the public watching and judging her every step of the way.
She uses her voice to push back against those who try to morph her into the mold society puts every other woman who looks picture perfect on magazine covers.
Be yourself. Love yourself. Accept yourself. Express yourself.
My mom was not far off. Looking back to my teenage self I wish I could have thrown a bucket of cold water on my face and yelled to “Wake up!”.
I am beautiful the way I am. I don’t need anyone else’s approval. The only one that matters is my own and, of course, my mom’s.
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