Advertisements are everywhere. Magazines, TV, billboards...you can't escape them. Ads sell us more than products--inevitably they sell us values, morals and images of normality. They tell us who we are and who we should be. Women are told many things through ads, but mostly that we are valued only for our beauty. However, the beauty they show us is flawless, ideal and photoshopped.
Are they all negative? By no means! But, unfortunately, a great many are detrimental to women. From infancy girls are taught to act, talk, look, and be a certain way. Society largely dictates these "feminine" ways to us. Think Disney Princess, pink, frilly dresses, makeup, weight, hair products and fashion. We spend endless amounts of money trying to "fit in" and keep up with fashion. Why? Guys don't have to do that! Why should we?
Yet, socially, we seem to have no choice but to conform. Check out Media Watch where you'll find a gallery of dehumanizing, hurtful images towards females. Also take a look at Love Your Body which has sample offensive ads and many resources for fighting back.
The messages we're sold:
"You're not beautiful until you get made up."
'You aren't good enough until you buy [the product they're selling]"
"Take up less space"
Ads frequently feature women as objects (the body of a car, a beer bottle, an accessory), animals, not fully human, enjoying violence, silent (hand over mouth, etc), passive, vulnerable, innocent, sexy, in bondage, under men's power, dead, drugged, or without clothes. Think about it this way, if you were to see an ad of a man without clothes sprawled unconscious on the floor, would that appeal to you? Then why is it okay for a female to be pictured that way?
So what can we do about it? If you see a current offensive ad, you can write the manufacturer or company asking for the ad to be removed. Whether or not companies begin to change their ways, the best thing we can do is raise awareness about how harmful ads are to women. Get educated. Visit Jean Kilbourne's Website to find ways to get involved in the fight for equality in media. Tell your friends and learn to see the details in advertisements. If you understand the hidden messages, you'll be more prepared to fight back!
Lily stood at the bathroom counter staring at the razor in her hand. It’s such a small blade, she thought to herself. How did it become so destructive? The tears trickled down her cheeks as she lifted her shirt, revealing dozens of long, deep red scars across her stomach. If anyone ever sees these, they’ll think I’m psychotic. What have I done? And why can’t I stop?
Certainly not alone in her addiction, Lily is struggling with the behavior known as self-injury. Inclusive of skin picking, cutting, scratching, pinching, re-opening wounds, biting, burning, hair pulling, and other bodily damage, self-injury (SI) may start innocently as a response to intense emotional pain, stress and anxiety, but can have dangerous consequences.
Frequently SI is a secret teens hide from parents and teachers. It becomes a way of covering psychological pain with physical pain and ultimately becomes a method of control in a highly uncontrollable situation such as family dysfunction.
If you or someone you know is suffering from self-injury, please find an adult, mentor, relative, or youth leader to confide in. SI is not a life-sentence or a weakness, it is merely a sign that you're hurting deeply inside. With appropriate help and counseling, SI can be overcome. You may wish to seek pastoral or medical assistance as well because SI is typically a symptom of more serious disorders like depression, posttraumatic stress, eating disorders and substance abuse. Please don't wait to ask for help.
*If you feel in danger of self-injuring or simply want to talk to someone, please call 1-800-DONT-CUT
Lost.
Hopeless.
Dying inside.
These are just some of the ways depressed teens describe how they feel. It's that deep, dark place where you fall and can't seem to get up from. It's horribly sad down there. And it feels like you're all alone.
However, no matter how alone you feel, you're not! According to www.teendepression.org, about 20% of teens will experience depression before they reach adulthood. Depression is not just moodiness and often isn't just a passing stage. If you're struggling with depression, the best thing you can do is tell an adult--a parent, leader, mentor or teacher can assist you in finding help. Antidepressants and therapy can frequently help to stabilize your mind even if you think it's running wild. Don't try to survive on your own!
According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention:
"A woman takes her own life every 90 minutes in the U.S., but it is estimated that one woman attempts suicide every 78 seconds...Though women attempt suicide twice as much as men...men complete suicide at rates four times that of women."
Suicide is the third leading cause of death in ages 15-24 and fifth in ages 5-14. Someone in the United States dies by suicide about every 16 minutes, but an attempt is made about every minute. That adds up to about 80 Americans committing suicide and around 1,500 more attempting every day. A large percentage of suicide attempts and deaths are people who suffer from depression. This makes suicide a very preventable tragedy.
If you are having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Line: 1-800-SUICIDE
If you know someone who is suicidal, 1) tell an adult, 2) stay with them until they are safe or someone else can take over, 3) call the suicide hotline together, 4) go to a crisis center or hospital with them.
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
Anxiety, worry and fear can feel like a life sentence, but it doesn't have to! The National Institute of Mental Health lists several types of anxiety disorders:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Panic Disorder
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Social Phobia (Social Anxiety Disorder)
Treatments vary from antidepressants to therapy, but however your doctor or psychiatrist chooses to work with you can help you find your freedom again!
There are many times of abuse that can leave deep scarring when they happen at any time in life, but especially so during childhood and adolescence: physical, emotional, sexual and psychological. Child abuse is a devastating crime that should not go unreported. If you are a victim or know one, please seek an adult's help immediately.
A Suspected Child Abuse Report must be made to the state Department of Justice as soon as possible. Refer to the California Department of Justice Guide to Reporting Child Abuse for more information: here.
If you are a victim of abuse, please don't keep silent anymore. Talk to a parent, leader, teacher, counselor or trusted adult now. Breaking your silence is the first step to healing! A great resource article that outlines Biblical principles and a road to healing can be found here: Six Steps to Healing from Sexual Abuse by B. Shelburne.