Students discuss the impact societal expectations have on the youth and their personal stories growing up a certain weight.

By Jessica Reyes-Fajardo

Since she was a little girl Junior Esmeralda Moreno has felt a constant pressure to change herself to fit “the perfect body.”

“As someone who has been plus size for my entire life.. I’d be told to keep working out, keep dieting and just eat less: I’ve been doing this since third grade. My body has been the same, I shouldn’t be shamed for it,” said Moreno.

By definition, body image is how you perceive, think and feel about your body. It’s an issue among everyone, including the youth in AHS. Something that has always been in our history is now disguised as trends. In the past beauty standard would change over time, but now with the power of social media, it is constanly changing at a rapid pace.

Social media is known to be a way of communication but also has its downsides when it comes to beauty standards and it can cause insecurities upon everyone. Moreno talks about how no one is truly themselves and are always comparing themselves to another person.

“It’s almost like no one is ever satisfied where we are. They’ll see something new or someone attractive for the way that they are, and strive for that. As soon as another thing comes up, they go to that new thing, rather than being who they truly are, ‘’ Moreno said.

In September of 2022, the University of Michigan CS. Mott Children Hospital conducted a survey on a child’s body image. In the study, they notice that teens with a high consumption of social media tend to have an idealized version of their appearance and have a low body image with may social media influencers having cosmetic procedures like lip fillers and Botox, and use editing apps to alter the look of their skin, hair, teeth, and facial features. Creating an even more unrealistic standard for what people “should’’ look like but with out saying that they have ever used those apps or gotten the procedures.

Senior Ron Nguyen explains his experience with his body image and how negative comments have effected how he perceives himself . “I’ve always been picked on for being fat growing up, not only by school mates, but also family members, and when you are constantly told something, it becomes engraved into you, you see yourself in the mirror and the comments still linger on. I always compare myself, I’m always nitpicking and saying I wish I had this or that, and saying negative comments about myself and that’s how body dysmorphia is,” said Nguyen.

Nguyen discusses the power of social media, and how social media isn’t the biggest factor that causes insecurity for boys.

“I feel like the biggest thing for guys is verbal opinions at school, but social media is a factor, because it allows us to view others. Apps like TikTok can allow new ideas to circulate, and seeing that constantly can change how you perceive yourself,” said Nguyen.

Similarly Nguyen and Moreno talk about the flaws of social media and agree that it has its perks like spreading body positivity but also has its negatives with Nguyen saying, “There are creators on social media who promote body positivity, and although there are negatives, there are a lot of positive aspects.”

AHS health teacher Glenna Wurm speaks about body image through her years as a middle school teacher to now highschool teacher. She brings up how in the 2000s there was a lot more body shaming.

“Girls who were on the heavy side when they wore something revealing people would say stuff, this time I see girls of all types of body shapes wearing revealing clothes comfortably. I hear less comments now there’s more acceptance.“ She also brings up social media and how she believes with the new influencers and their posts, Wurm says, “I believe it’s the influencers letting people know that they can be themselves more inclusively now… there is less judgment on how their body looks”. She also brings up pop influences like Lizzo, a plus size pop singer, expressing her influence on the youth. “Lizzo is a grand lady and she’s proud of it. It was like before it was just what diet plan they are on ‘’.

Nguyen and Wurm can both agree that perspectives on body image are growing more positive with the help of social media promoting inclusivity and acceptance. However, Moreno believes that while attitudes towards body image are trending to the positive end because of social media, there is still a long way to go until every body type is celebrated equally.

“I think it does help spread some sense of positivity with people attempting to shine light on things others may feel ashamed of. I think it’s just a bit harder to reach through to people since it is something that still isn’t fully normalized”, Moreno said.

Students discuss the rising growth and disparities in popularity of Asian entertainment in America.

By Ethan Nguyen

Junior Suki Sun is frustrated with the audiences of today’s media and how they react towards that of her own origin. There are many different forms of music, shows, and movies from several different origins. Yet when Sun celebrates media from Chinese culture, she is turned down by others who enjoy modern entertainment.

“It’s especially hurtful when they do have an interest in [a similar] type of media, but when you specify what kind of ethnicity was behind making it, it’s the same reaction. They immediately lose all interest just having the knowledge that Chinese people made it. It sucks.” said Sun.

America is home to many world famous cultural phenomena, ranging from individual artists, songs, shows, movies, and more. Today, teenagers are navigating through a worldwide web of media, including entertainment stemming from Asian countries. The most notable of these originate from Japan and Korea, whose globalization efforts have delivered pop music, anime, K-dramas, games, and more. However, these two distinct ethnicities alone cannot represent all the art that these cultures have in store. Asia itself is a widely diverse continent with more than 40 countries, however, we find that their media is not nearly as popular.

Taking into consideration as to why others might prefer to enjoy content originating from Asia, it all comes down to preference. Whether it be preferences for the language or cultural elements in music someone would like to hear, or that they like the familiarity of the content they consume, Junior Daniel Partido’s enjoyment comes from his experiences as an Asian person and the parallels from his own life that he sees in shows and films.

“I feel like the American media I watch are movies … most I can’t relate to. But there’s this one movie, Everything Everywhere All At Once, which is an Asian film that I felt was very relatable. I feel like there aren’t lots of American types of media I watch that are relatable like that.” Partido said.

Even though Asian music and shows have been enjoyed by audiences spanning over several generations, it’s not always accepted and there are still many stigmas people have associated these kinds of entertainment with. Sophomore Nathan Li is able to dissect the reasoning behind why some may look down on foreign music and how it has affected sharing his interests with others, which in turn can be applicable for other Asian art forms.

“When people think of K-Pop, they’d think of one specific [moment] that they’ve seen on social media that shifts their perspective… they’d think it’s bad or embarrassing. So when you tell them that they like that [form of media], then they would immediately focus on what they saw before and… it would be an embarrassing situation.” Li said.

Sun empathizes with how past experiences surrounding overseas media have tainted others’ views on the matter, explaining how her interests have negatively affected the interactions she’s had with others due to the strong biases they hold against Asian content.

“A lot of people make judgments based off of what you say you’re interested in first. There are times where I say, ‘Oh, have you seen this one show?’ and they’re like, ‘No, what’s it about?’, you say it’s an anime and they’re immediately turned off by the conversation. You can tell they’ve stopped listening.” Sun said.

Sun has been able to identify a disparity between how different Asian countries are treated by the consumers of Asian entertainment industries. Within the community itself, there has reportedly been discourse between viewers regarding the different origins of Asian publications.

“[Bias is common] especially when it comes to Chinese cartoons or anything that’s not Japanese. If you enjoy any shows or dramas that aren’t Korean or Japanese, [or] if you like watching South Asian shows, it’s weird. Or if you like watching [Vietnamese] shows, they’re not as good as Korean shows. It’s honestly really weird, watch what you want if you like it.” Sun said.

Though some may not accept what these overseas cultures have to offer, without a doubt it still holds strong meaning with Asian Americans and with those living overseas in their respective countries. Li recognizes this difference in popularity here in America, but goes on to focus on what their art means to those in Asia.

“These kinds of music [we listen to] here in America are not really as popular as [American] pop or rap. But if you were to think of it from a different perspective, like if it was back in China or Vietnam, then it would be a totally different story.” Li said. “So I guess it has to do with the culture there, the people, and what you’re exposed to.”

American culture is slowly diversifying, and several different heritages are anticipating more of their culture’s artistic elements, music, and talents weaving its way into mainstream American media. There are students belonging to numerous Asian ethnicities at AHS, including those who are Filipino, Vietnamese, Chinese, Indian, and more. Lots of these ethnicities’ cultures are underrepresented and underappreciated within international mainstream media, but still hold significant meaning for those belonging to these groups. Sun believes they deserve their own acceptance and recognition within today’s media.

“I’ve learned a lot of valuable life lessons,” Sun said. “As childish as it sounds, at the end of the day these are grown-ups writing their experiences in the form of shows, and you can pick up a lot of life lessons from them. They’ve shaped me for who I am for sure.”

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