October 18th is National Love Your Body Day! Created by the National Organization for Women, it encourages people to share what they love about themselves with the world. Though body image is a relevant issue for many teenagers, conversations about the topic are rare.

Peer pressure and the media have a way of getting to a teen before any positive influences.

“I’m constantly finding myself to other people in the halls, and constantly having to reassure myself that I’m already wonderful as I am,” said Susan Xiao, a Sophomore. “I’ve had to talk many of my friends out of the crazy accusations they’ve made about their bodies[…]I really wish they knew how beautiful they are.”

Social media, in particular, influences how teenagers feel about the way they look. That might seem obvious, but some kids don’t realize how much Instagram controls their self-esteem until they take a step back from the screen.

“Sometimes you[…]forget about lighting and camera tricks, or Facetune and filters,” said Susan. “All of these things seem to add up unintentionally, and it sometimes causes serious problems.” The subconscious expectation to look like a model who spent hours on one post quickly snowballs into self-hatred.

TV and movies also give teenagers unrealistic expectations about their bodies, as sophomore Mo McCann points out.

“A lot of shows[…]cast adults with already-grown bodies as teenagers, and that can be upsetting for an insecure teenager to see.” Celebrities who undergo intense training to obtain the perfect body should not be the standard for anyone, let alone a kid. Body positivity movements might look unnecessary at first glance, but they are often the only sources of encouragement for teens online.

So how can we combat all these negative influences for Love Your Body Day? Five Bob Jones students sat down to talk about what affects their body image and how teens can build up their confidence. Click here to see the video! Thanks to Sophia Fronckowiak, Ellie Cornett, Mo McCann, Lily Hughes, and Ashlee Sunderman for sharing their thoughts.