SARAH SAYS

How to deal with toxicity Sarah Roberts | Managing and Business Editor

Every time I open TikTok, From the perspective of I see a video of a high a teenager, I know this is not schooler putting herself reality. It takes hours to study down because no one wants for tests and loads of stamina her or she is not who everyone to go to club meetings and wants her to be. sports practices. Teenagers live

This toxic behavior is off of caffeine and two hours amplified by a TikTok trend in of sleep to make everything which teenage girls, and even “perfect.” Sometimes those guys, compare themselves to a clubs and sports do not even “Heather,” or someone who is interest us and we are there lovely and likable. only because “it looks good

It is killing me. for college.” As a senior, I

When I think of toxicity feel extreme pressure to look in real life, I normally think of good for college admissions. I Gretchen Weiner’s relationship have had to step back and ask with Regina George in “Mean myself if I really want to go to a Girls”: “you can’t wear that” or certain college or if it is simply “that’s stupid, you shouldn’t what everyone else is telling say that.” me.

Because social media has This behavior has the become a constant platform ability to destroy a high of toxicity, teenagers feel the schooler’s mental health, pressure to look a certain way, causing depression, social act “cool” and be up-to-date anxiety and even eating with the latest trends, and the disorders. It is hard enough criticism that goes along with to not slip into episodes it only makes that pressure of feeling inadequate, but stronger. overwhelming stress from

If you scroll through parents and the media make it Instagram you will see pictures hard to not have that feeling. of the ideal body type for a Nearly 20% of teenagers teenage girl or boy, according develop depression by the to the media. The slim time they reach adulthood, hourglass figure and buff torso according to suicide.org. and legs is something that most Therese J. Borchard, author teenagers will go to extremes of “Beyond Blue: Surviving to achieve. Teenagers are Depression & Anxiety,” expected to have perfect says this is because of the grades, participate in clubs domino effects of stress; some and sports and still maintain teenagers do not get enough a social life. We are expected time to be teenagers, hang to follow everyone’s demands out with friends and relax. We without batting an eye. are so busy trying to map out

Graphic by Meghan Williamson

The TikTok trend of ‘Heather’ shows off Pinterest profile pictures.

our adult lives and appear cool on social media that we do not have time to be the teenagers we want to be.

If you use social media to promote a business or your lifestyle, that’s great, but social media is also used as a means to cyber bully teenagers, by hiding behind a screen and insulting someone. Constructive criticism is not telling a girl that her new skirt isn’t in style, or teasing a guy who gets excited about reading; it’s just rude, and the effects of these insults are damaging. If a teenager is doing what he or she likes and isn’t affecting your life, please let them be.

Wear that neon green shirt you have been dying to wear since quarantine. Blast that classic rock song you absolutely adore on the radio. Do what makes you happy. It is your life, and you shouldn’t live it by anyone else’s standards of what is cool. You can be “unapologetically you.”