During your daily scroll, how many people did you compare yourself to? How often have you been told, “You need a new product” to feel better, look better, or simply be better?
In today’s world, It’s easy to be influenced. The persistent buzz around “self-improvement” has latched onto women’s minds, leading to countless items being added to carts in hopes of fulfillment. This phenomenon raises important questions about our self-worth.
Yes, social media is meant to influence, but it should not dictate women’s lives worldwide. Instead of celebrating our inherent value, we often see a lack of promotion of the idea that we’re already enough. Why are young girls mimicking self-help gurus and trying to change who they are during their formative years?
Self-help should not equate to a shopping addiction or constant comparison to the girls we see on social media. True Self-help is one’s own efforts toward personal growth and acceptance without being swayed or influenced by outside forces. So why has this definition changed?
Growing up during the rise of social media, I struggled with confidence and comparing myself with others. My journey mirrors a broader trend. I would constantly compare who I was to the girls on my screen, a common phenomenon among women today. This led to a negative cycle that was very hard to break, and now, at 18 years old, I’ve come close to kicking the habit and have begun to truly embrace who I am.
What changed was my realization of the grip social media had on me. This realization led to significant changes in my behavior. I used to spend hours endlessly scrolling, searching for the latest trends that promised to make me feel prettier or more fulfilled. It was only after I turned off notifications, deleted certain apps and set time limits that I noticed a real difference in my self-perception.
These actions were my steps toward genuine self-improvement. In essence, real self-improvement is about how you view yourself–not about changing your appearance or masking how you feel. Social media often distorts our self-image, and it is up to us to reclaim our sense of self-worth and focus on internal growth.
As we navigate this landscape, let’s prioritize self-acceptance over comparison and recognize that we are enough just as we are.