Self- Esteem

What is Self-Esteem?
-

Most peoples thoughts and feelings about themselves fluctuate somewhat based
on their daily experiences. The grade you get on an exam, how your friends treat
you, ups and downs in a romantic relationship can all have temporary impact on
how you feel about yourself (The University of Texas).

- Your self-esteem, however, is something more fundamental than the normal ups
and downs associated with situational changes. For people with good self-esteem,
normal ups and downs may lead to temporary fluctuations in how they feel about
themselves, but only to a limited extent. In contrast, for people with poor selfesteem, these ups and downs drastically impact the way they see themselves (The
University of Texas).

How do you see yourself?

--How you see yourself depends on what you
have learned from Family, Friends, Media and
Society.
-We all have a mental picture
of who we are, how we look,
what were good at, and what
our weaknesses might be.
-How we feel about ourselves
can influence how we live our
lives.

http://teenshealth.org/teen/your_mind/emotions/self_esteem.ht
ml

Media plays a vital role

-

Media influences the way teens see themselves.

On Social media, everyones life looks perfect but

youre only seeing a edited snapshot, which has nothing
to do with reality.

69% of girls in 5th 12th grades reported that

magazine pictures influenced their idea of a perfect
body shape - National Association of Anorexia
Nervosa and Associated Disorders

www.justsayyes.org/topics/self-image-media-influences/

How to tell if Social Media is Disrupting your Real-World

Thoughts and Interactions
-

If you feel worried or uncomfortable when youre not able to use any type
social media sites, that means that social media is impacting your life in a
negative way.

If you are thinking about social media/ using social media, such as
(facebook, tweeter, etc) first thing in the morning and at night before
going to sleep, or you find yourself always using these sites. These
habits mean that theres a high chance you have low self- esteem.

You feel uncomfortable being by yourself and having face to face

conversations with people.

Jodie Gummow States in her article, Social media is a very lazy way to
be in a relationship with somebody and impacts on the inability to be
alone. Kids are losing the idea of what it means to wait for informationthey get it right now.

How do Family and Friends Affect you?

-Family can sometimes influence our body image.

Comparing their kids to one another

For example:
Why cant you be more like your sister? or Are you
sure you dont want to try out for soccer like your
brother?

Family members might criticize their kids look (why

do you wear your hair so long? or how come you
cant wear pants that fit you?).

Family members might struggle with

their own body image and that is why
they criticize.

http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/body_image/body_image.ht
ml

How do Family and Friends Affect you?

Continuation...
-

Friends can dramatically reduce your self esteem

-

They can criticise the way you look, dress,

and act to make you feel inferior.

Fact: People who feel inferior to others always keep

comparing themselves to them and always try to find flaws.

You try to Fit In even when

you know that it is not right.

Over 70% of girls age 15 to 17 avoid normal daily activities,

such as attending school, when they feel bad about their
looks.
http://www.2knowmyself.com/How_friends_affect_your_self_estee
m

-Be a positive role model and do not talk negatively about your own body.
-Try not to be overly focused on your appearance.
-View mistakes as learning opportunities.
-Recognize what you can change and what you can't.
- Make a contribution.
Brighten someones day by posting encouraging messages on
your schools bathroom mirrors.

http://teenshealth.org/teen/your_mind/emotions/self_esteem.ht
ml#

References
Gummow Jodie. (March 7, 2014). 7 telltale Signs Social Media Is Killing Your Self- Esteem. Retrieved from http://www.alternet.org/personalhealth/7-telltale-signs-social-media-killing-your-self-esteem
New. M. (2012, March 1). Body Image and Self-Esteem. Retriever November 3, 2014, from
http://kidhealth.org/teen/your_mind/body_image/body_image.html

Radwan, M. (n.d.). The Ultimate Source for Understanding Yourself and others. Retrieved November 3, 2014, from
Http://www.2knowmyself.com/How_friends-affect_your_self_esteem
TeensHealth. (n.d.). Retrieved Novermber 3, 2014, from http://teenshealth.org/teen/your_mind/emoitions/self_esteem.html
Counseling and mental center staff. (2013) CMHC UT Counseling and Mental Health Center Division of Student Affairs.
Retrieved from http://cmhc.utexas.edu/selfesteem.html#1