Insecurity
- Clare Kaiyala
- Jun 1, 2015
- 3 min read
The literal definition of insecurity is an extensive feeling of self-doubt; essentially a lack of confidence. Insecurities are different from having a low self-esteem, in that insecurities are more centralized, while low self-esteem is widespread; for example someone insecure might think their face is ugly, when they are not; while someone with low self-esteem would probably feel insecure to a greater extent.
One way people cope with their insecurities, is by hiding them; for instance someone may act loud and boisterous to be noticed by others. This method, however, allows the problem to grow, and by recognizing what you are insecure about (i.e. intelligence, physical appearance, or self-portrayal) can be the first step to handling them.
The thing to realize about the matter is, worrying needlessly about your insecurity is not going to change your situation.
Insecurity is usually the main context where bullying occurs, and school is often a scene for this considering that it is a place where kids can associate with others more avidly. The thing about insecurities is that they are easy to exploit, especially by the people close to you. Often times they don’t mean to; other times they do; which is why making sure your friends are true is important to your confidence and wellbeing.
Media portrayal is also a large factor in the topic of insecurity; the constant portrayal of female beauty shows women as incredibly skinny, large busted and highly sexualized. On the contrary, male beauty is shown as being masculine, muscular and strong. Both have a large effect on how young women and men think the female and male body should look and be interpreted.
The male objectification shown through the media is often times not as extreme as female. Whenever someone watches a music video, reads a magazine, or even watches a TV show, there tends to be a skimpily dressed woman. Although this doesn’t always happen, this shows the practice of the concept “sex sells”, something almost anyone in the industry will tell you.
The idea of “sex sells” is when there is something sexually appealing used to grab the attention of the viewer, often a tactic employed with makeup, cologne, and deodorant; it can be a man or a woman, but many times the female body is used to sell anything from hygiene products to office supplies.
The pressure put upon young children, both girls and boys, to meet the physical standard set by both social media and the opinions of those surrounding them can have effects from mild to extreme. For girls, it is to be skinny but curvy with a large bust and butt; for boys it is to be strong and portrayed as rather dominant and masculine.
About 70 percent of girls ages 15 to 17 avoid daily activities such as school when they feel bad about how they look, and about 60 percent of children aged 6 to 12 are worried about weight, while as much as 70 percent of them want to slim down. These preferences and portrayals have negative effects on self-esteem and help to magnify our insecurities.
About 75 percent of girls with low self-esteem reported engaging in negative activities such as cutting, bullying and smoking, and about 20 percent of teens will experience depression before adulthood. The media and community tell kids that their values are based on their outward appearance.
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