1st Place, Feature Columnist
2023-24, Division 1-2, News Writing
By Amelia Dove
The Sailors’ Log
Mona Shores HS
Social media. Teenagers live for it. The Internet has been a prominent thing in most teenagers’ lives, including mine. It’s been such a big part of my life, and it feels as if I’m never without some form of technology.
I know I’m not alone in this, but it is almost impossible to think of a day when I was without my phone willingly.
While on my phone, I’m either scrolling through TikTok or Pinterest, texting my mom, reading (I know, dorky), snapping my friends back, or doing some other random thing. Essentially, I spend a lot of time on varying types of social media.
Though there can be many “pros” to social media, it is also drowning in “cons.” As someone who is a part of a generation that was practically handed technology at birth, I’ve had my fair share of the Internet and social media, and it’s not all that great.
Yeah, it’s fun being able to post your own things for your friends to see and entertaining to watch people on TikTok, but is it really all sunshine and rainbows?
Short answer: no.
Long answer: definitely no.
Social media is filled with toxicity, negativity, and unrealistic expectations. Everywhere I look, there is someone poking fun at another person, putting others down, or flaunting their seemingly perfect life.
The number of times I have scrolled upon a video of a girl close in age with me who is living a “perfect” life with a “perfect” body and a “perfect” face is unsettling. I’m a teenage girl who is surrounded by people who look, act, and seem better than me, and if that is all I see online, what am I going to think of myself, and what are other girls going to think of themselves?
If anyone else is like me, they are most likely going to look at themselves and think that they aren’t pretty enough, skinny enough, or even good enough.
Constant pressure of needing to dress, act, and look like others on social media is a present issue no matter which app I am on.
For example, if I’m scrolling on my phone and a video of a “famous” influencer shows up, I’m most likely going to think about how stunning she looks, how expensive her clothes are, or what her body looks like. Then, I’m going to take these thoughts and frame them on myself.
These thoughts lead me down a rabbit hole of self-hatred. I become consumed with how I look, act, and feel. Not only do I second guess the way I look/act in the moment, but I also think back on the way I looked or acted in the past, and it’s haunting.
Recently, I was talking to some middle school girls from my church, and the topic of social media was brought up. One girl mentioned how she never feels like herself anymore because she is basing her entire personality, clothing style, and actions off of people she sees on social media.
When I asked her why, she gave a simple answer that left me a little stunned. She changes herself based on what she sees online because other people are doing it, and she doesn’t want to be seen as weird among her peers.
There is no reason that any girl should feel pressured into changing herself for others and society. The worst part about this conversation is the fact that I resonate with her. Throughout my life, I have constantly tried to change myself for the good of others, instead of actually taking my own feelings into consideration.
Another major issue of social media is the endless cycle it pulls people into and the absolutely draining effects it leaves on mental health.
The amount of time I have spent on my phone scrolling just for a small hit of dopamine is most definitely embarrassing. And a majority of the time, I’m not even watching the videos all the way through, my ADHD doesn’t help, but still. My attention span has gotten shorter and shorter, and my time on social media has grown longer and longer.
I’ve tried to limit my time on social media, and even though I know it’s bad, I can’t bring myself to leave it be.
Negative emotions can also spring from social media. Teenagers’ mental health is getting worse and worse, and social media is contributing to that. The constant comparisons and overall negative energy can have a lasting effect on mental health.
Social media is something most teenagers live and breathe for, but it’s not all it adds up to be. It drags heavy weights behind it, and teens have fallen right into its path.
Starting now, I’m taking the time to decrease my screen time and cut down my social media usage. To achieve my goal, I’m going to set a screentime limit on my phone, so I’m reminded to get off my phone.
I’m also planning on finding new hobbies, and maybe picking up old ones, that way I’ll find enjoyment in other things besides TikTok.
Being a teenager in an age full of technologies can be challenging. But if people, including myself, see a problem, then we have to be willing to put in effort to make a change.
“The real world is forever and irrevocably messed up.” – Barbie, from the Barbie movie.
By now, a majority of people have either seen the Barbie movie or have at least heard of it, but not everyone understands the points and values that have come across in this film.
One of the main themes in the movie is women empowerment. I won’t give a full summary of the movie and each point made in it, but I’ll give a basic rundown of the best subjects it touched on.
In Barbie Land, women are in power. The men commonly referred to as “Ken Dolls” are kind of just there. The Barbies hold all positions of power; they are the ones in charge.
Throughout the film, there are many hints about how women are treated in the real world. For example, women are supposed to grow up right away while men are given the chance to live out their childhood, well into their adult years.
Just because women, in real life, have to raise a child in the future doesn’t mean their childhood should have to get cut short. As girls get older, they are continuously told to “act their age” and that they should “be more mature.”
Boys, on the other hand, are able to act however they want, no matter their age because “boys will be boys” and “he’s just a teenager.”
I’ve been told, not just once, but many times that “boys will be boys” as an excuse for a males’ behavior. In the case that a girl had done what he had done in any of the situations, they would have been scolded for acting childish.
The film also points out how women can’t truly have interests, whether it is sports, movies, artists, or something else without being labeled as “obsessed” or “crazed” fans while men are just supportive or “normal” fans.
As made prevalent by the movie, double standards are obvious in our society.
The movie was created to be a flipped version of society and to point out parts that are just a little bit messed up. In society, men are in charge, and if we look back throughout history, we’ll see a recurring theme: men holding positions of power, men making decisions for women, and men treating women as though they are less.
In Barbie Land, men aren’t treated poorly; they just aren’t as important as women. Women are in charge. Women make all the decisions. Women treat everyone with respect, no matter who they are.
In society, women are faced with many struggles: being paid less, being sexualized, trying to fit in with today’s standards, etc. Females have to deal with the fact that they are constantly being judged and criticized for everything they do even if it is as small as what they wear.
Females are always being told what they can and can’t do even if it has no effect on the other person. From a young age, they are told how to treat, respect, and dress around men when they are the ones who should be taught how to behave with basic human decency.
Young girls are gifted baby dolls to play and care for and are encouraged to grow up faster. Young boys are given toy cars and encouraged to live out their youth as long as they can before they have to grow up.
Another thing society seems to have a problem with is women’s interests. When a man has a sports memorabilia around his house, he’s devoted. When a woman has posters of her favorite singers or movies, she’s obsessed. When a man wears his favorite player’s jersey to a football game, he’s supportive. When a woman dresses up for a concert, she’s excessive.
One thing I really like about the movie is the way it accurately represents the way women are treated. Women are taught to fit certain categories in everything they do. They have to act “this” way, but they can’t be too much like “that.” They can’t be “too much of this,” but they have to be “more than that.”
No matter who you ask, any woman could tell you that they relate to this feeling in some way. They’ve been told they’re “too much” or “not enough,” according to society’s pointless guidelines.
Men are allowed to do whatever they want while women are on the sidelines, waiting to be let on the field or into the workplace.
Even though the main themes of the Barbie movie are quite obvious, some people are still unable to understand them. The point seems to fly right over their head even though there seems to be a large banner attached to the plane with giant writing saying “Look at me!”
The whole point of the movie was to show the unfairness in today’s society and media. It is supposed to show the way the world should be and how we can be the change.
NW-09. Feature Columnist
Each entry must:
- have two (2) columns (feature or opinion) from different publication dates
- have both columns submitted together in the same entry form
- have the same standing head
- be authored by the same writer(s) (both columns in the entry should have the same byline)
- carry bylines or other writer identification to indicate the personal nature of the content
Judging Criteria
- Sharp attention-getting leads
- Expresses personal opinions; uses consistent style
- Reflects thought/research, freshness, individuality
- Effective use of facts/quotes or supporting material
- Informative, interesting, entertaining
- Upholds journalistic integrity
- Sentences, paragraphs of varied length; written clearly, concisely and vividly
- Proper diction/grammar