'You must have perfect skin to be beautiful...'

Hey guys! For today's society dictates, I'm going to look at how skin defines someone as 'beautiful'. Now, skin is a big personal issue of mine and I'm pretty sure plenty of girls, and guys, share the same problem as me!

 
(source: http://www.tumblr.com)

Has to be said, this is one of the biggest issues teenagers have to face on a day to day basis. The majority of teenagers have some form of issue with their skins, be it: eczema, acne, outbreaks etc. It does bring a major downer on your day and can really damage your self-esteem as your body image, for you, is shattered. This, added with negative comments and snide remarks, can really crush someone's confidence and, chances are, it's not even their fault they have problems with their skin. I can vouch for this...

I have eczema. You might not be able to tell if you actually look at my skin now, but if you go back 5-6 years, you would see a different story. As a child, I always had mild eczema like most children. However, when I was 14, I used a spot cream which was designed to be put directly on spots and basically put a layer all over my face which burnt my face as the cream was incredibly concentrated and acidic. After the inflammation went down, I went to the nurse as I still had flaky skin so she gave me some E45 cream which I majorly reacted to and my skin on my face swelled up. Not what a teenage girl wants! My skin then did some form of chemical peel which was very strange and I managed to infect my skin. My arms and face used to be red underneath the skin surface and very itchy and sore. 

In school, this was the last thing I needed! I'd have people stare and comment, it was actually heartbreaking and killed my self-esteem so much. Eventually, I was prescribed with some tablet which got rid of the infection and I was just left with very dry skin. Over time, it has definitely improved and, now, it's hard to tell I have anything wrong with my skin. But, at the back of my mind, it's still as bad as it was. That will never go away. At least I have found the right products which can keep all flare ups under control!

For teenage girls, in particular, skin is a big deal! If you have bad skin, you can wear many foundations or much make up. You also get people pick up on the fact your skin is bad. Especially if one day, you wear make up and, the next, you don't wear any and it's clear why. In particular, the media promote the image that girls need flawless skin to be perfect and beautiful. Let's be honest, have you ever seen a model with acne? Have you ever seen a magazine be nice about someone who isn't wearing make up...

I'm going to use Mila Kunis as my example, possibly one of the most gorgeous women in the world. 

 
(source: http://www.tumblr.com) 

Now, her skin in the majority of her images is simply stunning. Flawless, clear, beautiful.. That's what you get when you have an amazing makeup artist! Something the rest of us can not afford, unfortunately.  Yet, the minute she get's snapped without her makeup, she gets slated big time. How is that meant to encourage young girls to go for the more natural look when celebrities get slated for it so extremely?!

 
(source: http://www.tumblr.com)

Sorry but I'm pretty sure there are more important things for the media to be publicising and criticising rather than slating and slagging off someone because they look 'rough' without makeup on. What kind of example does that set young girls?! The fact that most images of airbrushed and perfected anyway greatly impacts how reliable and truthful these images are. They're not real! Same for the images of girls with thigh gaps (for those who missed my post on thigh gaps, click here), these images are edited to promote the 'ideal figure' when, actually, it's an incredibly unhealthy lifestyle. With sites, such as tumblr and instagram, also promoting these images, no wonder there are so many negative and pressured girls out there with incredibly low self-esteem.

So, have a think next time you make a snide remark or see these images in magazines or online. How on earth do you think these people feel?! People really need to take a step back and realise they are not perfect either so they have NO right to make judgements on someone else until they've walked in their shoes.

'Girls must have thigh gaps to be normal..'

Hey guys! For today's society dictates post, I'm going to be discussing how the idea of thigh gaps has corrupted the image of a 'perfect figure' for girls. 

 
(source: www.cardiotrek.ca)

This media hyped obsession has become a lot more of an issue amongst teenage girls recently. Girls are becoming more and more obsessed with having the 'perfect figure' that they're going to any lengths in order to achieve these outrageous goals. This includes anything from starving themselves to diets and other alternatives. 

I came across this topic when I had a tumblr account. No matter who I followed, there would always be these images of thigh gaps appearing on my newsfeed and it didn't surprise me at all as to where so many girls get their ideas from. Tumblr promotes so many negative images of how girls should be and portray them as 'super skinny' with thigh gaps. This can be so damaging to any girl's self-esteem when they look in the mirror and don't see what they see online. They see something completely different, it's called being normal. Not super skinny, not having a thigh gap.. 

 
 (source: www.tumblr.com)

Celebrities are also to blame for this obsession and hype. In all magazines, you will see the skinny models and other celebrities who are praised for being so thin and others being slated for being 'fat'. Well, they're not actually fat. They're normal. Admittedly, some are a bigger than what's seen to be 'average' and 'normal', but they get slated on a daily basis. That is so damaging for them. It's only when a celebrity gets dangerous skinny that they will get slated for their image. But is it too late by then? 

Now, for some people, thigh gaps are somewhat natural. Where some girls are naturally skinny, they naturally have a thigh gap. However, the majority of girls do not. Admittedly, I do not have a thigh gap. Chances are I never will! But why should that bother me? I'm happy the way I am and the media should not influence the way I want to be. Yes, I have gone out of my way to become the shape I am now after working for it. 

Many girls are unhappy with their figures and aspire to be a few sizes smaller or remove certain areas of fat here and there. But certain 'norms' like these cause so many problems and can cause girls a lot of problems, both physically and mentally. You become obsessed with being skinny and try everything you can think of. If you don't like your figure, do something about it. But do not go to silly extremes. Go to the gym, eat healthier foods... Don't starve yourself or go on ridiculous diets when there are simpler and safer options.

(source: www.themetapicture.com)

So what do you think, are thigh gaps normal? To find out more, click here for the Daily Mail article focusing on this particular topic.

'You must go to university to succeed in life...'

Hey guys! For my first 'society dictates' post, I've decided to talk about university. Good timing too seeing as people will soon be returning to and starting university in a matter of weeks..

 
(source: www.nerdist.com)

In school and college, we get our heads filled with information about university and how important it is in life etc etc. Where I went to sixth form, we had days dedicated to looking at universities and days out to a couple of them. We would sign up for UCAS and look at courses which we thought would suit us. Of course, this wasn't for everyone so not everyone had to sign up for anything or go on these visits and so on.

Admittedly, I don't go to university. Chances are I never will for a number of reasons. For starters, for the occupation I want to go into, I don't need university. I want to be a nanny or a teaching assistant. If I wanted to be a teacher, I would need to go to university. But I don't. For what I need, I could do a Level 3 college course which is exactly what I do. Secondly, university doesn't appeal to me in the slightest. The idea of debt and leaving me loved ones behind at a young age just isn't something I'd like to consider. The fact I'm incredibly socially awkward probably wouldn't do me any justice either if I'm honest.. But hey ho, that's just me!

Although it's not for everyone, university does have its advantages and pros. Yes, for some jobs, you do need to go to university. For example, nursing and, as I've already mentioned, teaching. This would be a major reason why people go to university! It also gives people the independence they need. We all have to grow up and mature at some point and, for some people, university gives people a chance to live a very independent life. No more relying on the bank of mum and dad! 

People find themselves at university. In some cases, people take a gap year (or gap years) to find out who they are and what they want to do. Going to university, you meet a lot of new people who can help bring you out of your shell and help you develop a new and exciting lifestyle. Normally, this includes lots of drinking games and lots of going out! People say the friends you make at university are your friends for life, mainly because they're stuck living with you and learn to put up with you! If you live with the same people throughout your entire time at university, you know you can't be that bad. 

As I've already mentioned, I'm not the sort of person who would go to university. But I'm not the only one.. For some people, the idea of debt simply crosses out the idea of university altogether! Having to pay £9000 a year, plus accommodation, plus drinking, plus food and everything else is enough to put anyone who isn't sure what they want to do in life off university straight away.

For others, the idea of being in education from 4-21 years old is quite a daunting thought! It's scary to think you've been in education for about a fifth of your life. People want to go out and explore the world while they still can and explore different opportunities to better themselves as an individual. 

Personally, university isn't my choice and I'm sure people will agree with me that it's not for everyone. If you don't need it or want to go, what's the point? What bugs me is that people look down on those who don't go to university. You don't know their reasons for not going, so what's to look down on? People choose their own fate and have their own aspirations, it's down to them to succeed and achieve what they desire.