By Ashley Kiser, Age 14
As I lie in bed late at night scrolling through TikTok, I see a video that makes me question my appearance. The girl in the video talks about how she lost weight by eating little food, and the great outcomes it gave her. I go to the bathroom and look in the mirror.
“Gosh, I look nothing like her,” I think to myself. “I wish I was prettier.”
Roughly one in five teens say social media has negatively impacted their mental health, according to the Pew Research Center. Teens are constantly feeling pressured over the way they look and the need to change. These negative thoughts weigh down on their minds and souls.
In addition to social media having negative effects on teens and especially girls, being Black is almost like living in a whole different universe. Generational systematic racism and discrimination still play a role in Black people’s mental health today. As a young adult reported in a focus group with the Center for Law and Social Policy, or CLASP, “You just got to keep understanding that… being brown is different. Being white is really different. Having the privilege and having the access and not having the privilege and the access.”
As a Black girl on social media, I look in the mirror and notice a foreign, almost alien, version of myself. My thick, hard-to-tame, curly hair. My dark, brown skin. My brown eyes. Not feeling accepted or respected as a Black person, and always feeling judged, does have detrimental effects on one’s mental health and can cause low self-esteem.
According to CLASP, “Structural racism persists in the environments that young people participate in daily, like schools and the workplace. Systemic racism in the health care system can deter youth of color from using necessary mental or physical health services because of the lack of trust, even if young people have access to services.” Being Black in today’s society comes with its own set of challenges on social media.
It’s important to be wary of the potential danger of social media and how it can cause mental health issues. And systematic generational racism and discrimination plays a role for Black people and other people of color. Being a Black girl in society today, you’ll quickly realize that you’re put in this small, pre-sterotyped box, and the world already has its own opinions on you. Even if you’re in pain, you’re seen as overreacting, or causing trouble.
“Eventually, these stereotypes and forms of [sexism] weigh teen girls down and get into our own heads. Learn to trust yourself in small bits throughout the day,” recommends InsideoutRecovery.com in their blog post, “Love Notes to Black Teen Girls: A gift from a trauma therapist for Teen Self-Esteem Month.”
To have a powerful sense of self is crucial in today’s society. Being able to rise above all the accusations and stereotypes will help you be more confident not only on social media, but even going through the real world.
