Self-Esteem by micds rams

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1

NOVEMBER 24, 2009

SELF ESTEEM: IS YOURS TOO HIGH OR TOO LOW? MICDS

Too High? Or Too Low? value, and acceptance? Are there any signs of low or high self esteem? Can you have too high self esteem? How do you improve your self-esteem? Does how you grow up affect your self esteem? How does the media affect your self-esteem? First, there is no scientific way to measure self-esteem, but when someone has high or low self esteem there are signs. Signs such as taking pride in one’s skill for people with high self-esteem. People with low– self esteem feel like they are not accepted or that they cannot do well in anything.

Self esteem is defined as how much we feel valued, loved, accepted, and thought well of by others — and how much we value, love, and accept ourselves (3). How do you measure someone’s love,

There are ways to take high self esteem too far such as over inflation of abilities, and the feeling of superiority over others (10). These habits can be created by over-complimentary people who are respected and admired in their life (10): people such as teachers, peers, coaches, and

parents. You can improve your self esteem by exercising, trying new things, helping others, and basically anything where criticism does not come in to play. Growing up with dolls and magazines full of people with unrealistic proportions can give people from the start an unrealistic view of beauty. Campaigns by Dove have started to put commercials on T.V. to point out to parents that buying a Barbie for your little girl, or a G.I. Joe for your little boy may be fun for a few years but can cause problems with children later on about how they think they should look and act.

With a poor job market now people are being told for the first time that they are no longer good enough. Has enforcing such optimism ended up hurting the children of the future by finally giving them a taste of reality?

Children are giving ―A’s‖ every day for trying hard, but not getting it right. In standardized testing of Japanese students vs. Americans, the Japanese out performed Americans on their tests, but the American elementary school students felt better about their work after the test (4). This is not what should be happening; it shows that kids are being taught that even if it is completely wrong. In the real world merit and education are

Only 56% of 7th graders say they like the way they look. (9) More than 90% of girls (ages 15-17) want to change at least one aspect of their looks. Nearly 1/4 would consider undergoing plastic surgery and 13% acknowledge having an eating disorder. (9) Children with very low self-esteem were 1.6x more likely to meet the criteria for drug dependence nine years later than other children. (9)

The main thing in self esteem is a healthy balance between a bruised ego and an inflated selfview.

Is America Making too Big of a Deal About People Getting Their Feelings Hurt? Has the current generation been put on a pedestal? With 5th grade graduations, and awards for good-sportsmanship?

Special points of interest:

valued way more than effort. By releasing college kids with the selfesteem of being able to achieve anything they dream of, ends up to hurting them because they end up feeling rejection for the first time at something that they learned was the thing to do. With one rejection comes more rejection, and more dampening of self-esteem that was once built up by superficial compliments (2).

Table of Contents Too High ? Or Too Low?

Is American Making too Big of a Deal About People

Media’s Affect on People’s Idea of Beauty

Toys’Affect on Children

Critiquing

Perfectionists

Bibliography

SELF ESTEEM: Page 2

Media’s Effect on the Idea of Beauty When you open up a magazine, turn on the T.V., look at a billboard, or listen to the radio, etc. there are hundreds of examples of beautiful looking people who say that they achieved their beauty through supplements, makeup, clothes, or workout equipment.

Tyra Banks on images of her where she looks overweight.

―Luckily, I’m strong enough and I have a good enough support system… that help me be a strong woman so that I can overcome these attacks‖ -Tyra Banks

In real life the model’s pictures are edited to a cookie-cutter ―beautiful‖ person by today’s standards. The pills and the workout equipment that build muscles or make you look younger are advertised by people who did not necessarily take the pills they just worked out and dieted. Some say that they are a certain age but in real life they are a decade younger or photo shopped completely. The clothing is worn by people who may have been inserted with silicone and other fake products used to enhance their physi-

cal appearance, or yet again photo shopped. The way to sift though the lies is to gain muscles not by cheating with pills, but by exercising. To look younger is not necessarily good, with age comes wisdom. People need to own their age. The clothing and makeup is easy, go with what makes you feel good and accentuates your natural beauty. Recently some images of supermodel Tyra Banks were leaked on the internet of her not looking as fit as she used to be. Instead of saying those images were edited, or denying them even being of her she owned up to her body (9). She said that because she had such high self-esteem and people bothering her, other people’s nags and comments on her body would not defeat

Toys’ Effect on Children Growing up with miniature ―beautiful‖ or ―strong‖ ―people‖ is not ideal. It is said that if Barbie were life-sized and alive, she would have to walk on all fours because her legs are 50% longer than her arms while on real people they are on average only 20% longer (11). She would also have to have a neck support because her neck is twice as long as an average woman (11). The late Barbie founder Anita Roddick says that out of 8 billion woman only 8 come close to Barbie’s proportions and she apologized for Barbie’s shape. The image on the left depicts how unhealthy Barbie is and how mal-

nourished she is. G.I. Joe’s on the other side have muscles that could never be achieved in anyone’s wildest dreams. Some researchers say that these action figures back up the usage of steroids because you can be a hero, but only if you are ridiculously huge (12). If the ―Extreme G.I. Joe‖ was real his muscles would be larger than the Mr. Olympia's of today (12). Yet again, by giving children models of “beauty” from a young age it enforces bad habits, and only giving yourself lower selfesteem because goals such as “muscles like G.I. Joe” and

her (See quote below). Some reports even said that she was at least 30 lbs. over what she used to be when the Sports Illustrated images of her were taken (9). She took these reports and made a one of her talk show’s dedicated to those images, and she even stood next to a cutout of those pictures (see image on the left). She understands that she could work out more, but she was born with curves, and people should get used to her being her real self and not what she looks like in magazines. The key to the media is finding people who have imperfections and following their lead of beauty: being natural. Comparing yourself to supermodels only hurts your self-esteem, accept who you are and don’t let others get in the way of who they think you should be.

―But if I had lower self-esteem, I would probably be starving myself right now.‖ -Tyra Banks ―A waist as small as Barbie’s‖ is one of the ways that can decrease your self esteem (3). It is recommended to set many feasible goals, not an unrealistic dream or perfection. A solution to these self-esteem deteriorating dolls is to give kids dolls that look like real people, or not even giving them dolls to compare themselves to be, or strive to grow up to.

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1 Page 3

Critiquing Before critiquing someone first consider whether it is constructive, not disrespectful and whether you truly believe in what you are saying. Critiquing someone is a very particular business because along with most other things (including self-esteem) there is a happy medium between bruising someone’s ego and inflating them (8). If you are bruising someone’s ego, it usually means that you are bringing feelings about that specific person into their work with a biased view and ignoring their

image. This can be damaging to their self-esteem because it can lower their self esteem by making them feel futile to their peers. As well as being cruel there is also such a thing as being ―too nice‖. Yet again this involves a biased view about someone relating back to pity or a relationship between them. By complimenting someone too much they begin to grow an unclear view of themselves and where they are in their life (6). Everyone could improve a little bit and by complimenting them on habits that

are not so attractive, you are leading them on and even if it shows a short period of happiness it causes problems with interactions with others because of their disproportionate view of themselves. To consider if your comment is constructive and not disrespectful, try to imagine yourselves in their shoes and ignore how you feel about the person. Also be sure that you’re not complimenting them just to compliment. Make sure that you really believe what you are saying (6).

Perfectionists Setting goals that are unrealistic can only harm your self-esteem. Set goals that you can accomplish, track your progress, and stick to motivate and raise your self-esteem.

rexic. Coloring compulsively does not necessarily mean that she became anorexic, but being a perfectionist in one thing tends to transfer over to other topics, like your body (5).

of others as being better then you. When you think others are better than you a nonmotivated person would stop trying because they could never be better.

Perfectionists are people who accept only the best and will not settle for any less (5). A girl named Sarah would not stop coloring until the image was completely filled in, in the 3rd grade. 3 years later, she became ano-

Being lazy is also a sign of low self-esteem. It shows that you do not care what happens to you. Along with not taking pride in your work or opinions, low self esteem signs are comparing yourself to others, and thinking

The healthy thing to do is to set many small goals and check them off as you go along, It motivates you, and it tracks your progress.

75 percent of 8- and 9-year-olds said they liked their looks. That figure dropped to 56 percent among girl’s ages 12 and 13 (9) 7 million girls and women who have eating disorders, compared with 1 million boys and men. Ten percent report onset at 10 years or younger; 33% ages 11 to 15 (9)

MICDS

Citation Bibliography 1.

Admagic-ga. ―20 or so Self-Esteem Statistics‖ Blog Enrty. Google Entry. Aug. 12, 2006. Nov. 14, 2009. <http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview/id/755468.html>.

―After Being Force Feed Self-Esteem , Students Get a Taste of Reality.‖ St. Louis Post Dispatch. Nov. 14, 2009. Nov. 14, 2009.

―Body Image and Self-Esteem.‖ TeensHealth. March 2009. Nov. 14, 2009. <http://kidshealth.org/teen/ your_mind/emotionsself_esteem.html#>.

"Damn, I'm good!." Leo, John. U.S. News & World Report. May 18, 1998. Nov.,14 2009. <http:// find.galegroup.com/gic/start.do?prodId=GIC>.

Green, Melinda A., et al. "Eating disorder behaviors and depression: a minimal relationship beyond social comparison, self-esteem, and body dissatis faction." Journal of Clinical Psychology 65.9 (2009): 989+. Student Resource Center - College Edition. Web. 14 Nov. 2009. <http:// find.galegroup.com/gps/start.do? prodId=IPS&userGroupName=sain62671>.

―How Can I Improve My Self-Esteem?‖ TeensHeath. May 2009. Nov. 14, 2009. <http://kidshealth.org/teen/ your_mind/body_imagebody_imag e.html#>.

"Let's lower our self-esteem." Leo, John. U.S. News & World Report 120.n24. June 17, 1996. Nov.,14 2009. <http://find.galegroup.comgicstart.do?prodId=GIC>.

"Ryan Halligan." Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society. ABC-CLIO, 2009. Web. 14 Nov. 2009. <http:// www.issues.abcclio.com>.

―Tyra Addresses the Unflattering Bating Suit Photos Recently.‖ By The Tyra Banks Show. Performer Tyra Banks. 2009. <http:www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPatjN5p90c>.

10. "Self-esteem check: Too low, too high or just right?" Mayo Clinic. Web. 16 Nov. 2009. <http:// www.mayoclinic.com/health/self-esteem/MH00128>. 11. Carr-Gregg, Michael. "The Trouble With Barbie All Over the World." Herald Sun [Durham, NC] 25 Sept. 2007. Herald Sun. Web. 16 Nov. 2009. <http://www.heraldsun.com.au/opinion/the-trouble-with-barbie/story -e6frfifo-1111114493090>. 12. Angier, Natalie. "Drugs, Sports, Body Image, and G.I. Joe." The New York Times [New York, NY] 22 Dec. 1998. New York Times. Web. 16 Nov. 2009. <http://www.nytimes.com/1998/12/22/science/drugs-sports-bodyimage-and-gi-joe.html>. Pictures ―Anorexic Barbie.‖ Online Image. Way Odd. Nov. 14, 2009. <http://www.wayodd.com/anorexic-barbie/v/4913/ >. ―Low Self Esteem.‖ Online Image. Cartoon Stock. Nov. 14, 2009. <http://www.cartoonstock.com/lowres/ epa1190l.jpg> ―Self Esteem.‖Online Image. Vision. Nov. 14, 2009. <http://www.vision.org/visionmedia/article.aspx?id=1330>. ―Self-Esteem‖ Online Image. The Beauty Myth. Nov. 14, 2009. <https://www.courses.psu.edu/wmnst/ wmnst001_atd1/BeautyMyth/>. ―Tyra Banks.‖ Online Image. It’s a thin world. Nov. 14, 2009. <http://themocialite.wordpress.com/2009/02/12/ itsathinworld/>. ―Women and Self Esteem‖ Online Image. Saida Online Magazine. Nov. 14, 2009. <http://www.saidaonline.com/ en/ news.phpgo=fullnews& ne wsid=15132>.

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Resources School (Book): Steinem, Gloria. Revolution from Within: a Book of Self-Esteem. Little, Brown and Company, 1998. About: Gloria Steinem’s story of her search for self esteem and what self esteem means to people around the book. She offers plenty of advice and pathways to high self-esteem. The way she thinks about self esteem is "If we think of ourselves as circles, our goal is completion . . . if we think of work structures as circles . . . progress means mutual support and connectedness.” . How it Helps Self-Esteem: She challenges that way people today think about self esteem. Her message is that it is our very selves that we need to trust, despite educational and societal pressures that may denigrate the female experience. This book is very helpful for people looking into raising their self esteem because it offers advice from a variety of sources; such as literature, art, nature, meditation, and connectedness as ways of finding and exploring the self. National: National Association for Self-Esteem: Website: http://www.self-esteem-nase.org/ Who I Spoke to: Sharon Fountain, NASE President Phone Number: 301-421-0118 E-mail: President@Self-Esteem-NASE.org. Location: Headquarters in Fulton, MD How it Helps Self Esteem: NASE is a member-driven, non-profit organization. Focused on information, advocacy, resources, and research. One of the goals is to link together, for information and resources, the many "communities" that work to help people develop and maintain healthy self-esteem Services For Self-Esteem: . They strive for people to be able to find the resources they want and need through our web site, seminar work, media interviews, and other outreach vehicles. Website: Citation: TeenHealth. Nemours Foundation. Nov. 14, 2009. <http://teenshealth.org/teen/>. How it Helps Self Esteem: It is dedicated to teens for honest, accurate information and advice about health, emotions, and life. More specifically they have categories on mental health, body image, and self-esteem. Services: Provides articles and information approved by doctors on body image and self-esteem. Local: Planned Parenthood Who I Spoke to: Cathy Williams, Vice President of Human Resources of Planned Parenthood Phone Number: (314)5317526 Location: #1 Stonegate Center Manchester, MO 63088 How it Helps Self-Esteem: Planned Parenthood’s goal for self-esteem to help women with low-esteem gain confidence in themselves so that they can build themselves a better life. Services for Self-Esteem: They offer counseling groups and pamphlets on self-esteem.