Only four percent of women consider themselves beautiful, according to data compiled through the Dove Self-Esteem Project. A big part of the reason why women’s self-esteem has suffered is from the effects of some media influencers. The media is all around us, and has a bigger impact than we think. In the 21st century, some media outlets have set the definition of beauty as being skinny. According to the media, having skinny hips, a narrow waist, and a slim body are the features you need to be beautiful. This definition of beautiful is what millions of women spend their lifetime trying to achieve.

We are constantly being suffocated by the grasp of media. Many media outlets have manipulated society into thinking that one needs to be skinny to be beautiful. The media has turned our society into hand drawn puppets ─ and they are the hands controlling all the string. Our actions are all being monitored by media. Vrinda Madan, Nirja Shah, Alexia Joseph, and I were sick of the media controlling us, and we wanted to break the strings tied on society.

We are in an extracurricular activity called Community Problem Solving (CmPS). We decided to take on a problem that was affecting us personally and girls our age. Nirja thinks that the media distorting our view on self-image is a very important unsolved problem because, “Self confidence is such an important idea for all girls, because that’s literally what can make or break a person.” It is so important for these young girls to learn how the media works, so they won’t fall into their trap.

This is our second year focusing on the impact media has on young girls. Last year, we made a 15 minute presentation that was delivered to over 1,000 girls ages 9-14.  Vrinda says, “[that the] Main points of our presentation are: the effects of media on young girls, models of society, how photoshopping is present in magazines, and how this unrealistic perception of perfection is seen in society, because of the media.” We also touched on eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia. We chose to show this presentation to girls as young as nine, because that is when the idea of self-image in girls is beginning to be recognized. We wanted to make the girls understand what the media was doing so they wouldn’t fall into their trap. We wanted these girls to make healthy choices regarding their bodies. We want to make the girls aware that the beauty portrayed on the cover of their favorite national magazines are photoshopped to meet the definition of beauty. We wanted to make it clear to the girls that perfection, according to the media, is an obtainable goal.

This year, we decided to take a different approach to solving this problem. We created a play that will be presented to ages nine to fourteen. We focused more on how society affects us too. Our main character was bombarded with negative influences from the media and society, telling her that she needs to be between sizes zero to five to be considered beautiful. In the course of 20 minutes, the audience will see how the media and society’s impacts will turn an already naturally beautiful girl into a monster. They will get to see what media and society is causing in young girls. The audience will get to see an insight of the mind of a girl their age battling with anorexia.

We hope by acting out this play, we will open the eyes of the girls. We hope to make them realize that as one grow up, the media and society will pressure he or she to become someone ‘ideal’ in their eyes. Vrinda says, “By the end of the presentation, they will understand the meaning of our project name, “Be-YOU-tiful.” They should understand that they are beautiful just the way they are. Nirja wants the girls to “Walk away with a new and improved definition of beauty. I want them to love themselves for exactly who they are and not let anyone’s words or actions change that. I want the girls to never call themselves names that they wouldn’t dare say out loud.”

Another personal goal shared among the four of us was encouraging the girls to find positive role models. These girls are so young, and we don’t want them to feel lost or confused. We encouraged them not to idolize the model on the front page, but to find a healthy role model they know in real life. We promised to be there for the girls we talked to. Nirja says, “If I can make at least one girl accept and love herself just how she is, then that would make me really happy.”

The reaction we have gotten from the girls in the past is mind blowing. We had girls run up to us after our presentation and start crying. They thanked us for doing something so relevant and personal. Seeing the young girls’ reactions to our presentation makes all the hard work worth it. Vrinda says, “The best part about Be-YOU-tiful is the influence and impact that we are making on people’s lives.” It is the most amazing feeling knowing that we are helping today’s youth cut the strings that society tied on them. If girls just take at least one thing away from our presentation, we want it to be that they are beautiful just the way they are. We want to change the 21st definition of beauty to be the image we see when we look in our mirrors, because everyone is Be-YOU-tiful.