Vulnerability of teenagers

In class we've discussed the effect of the media on teenagers, specifically girls. The media has prompted many teenage girls to view the ideal woman as skinny, sexy, and beautiful. Some believe this has caused a significant amount of girls to have low self-esteems and overlook the beauty that lies within themselves. I can relate to this with some of my own personal insight. I read magazines such as Seventeen and so on and I watch shows like America's Next Top Model, etc., where I see images of perfect women. While I know in magazines it's all about the photo shopping aspect and what not, I still think to myself, well I wanna look like that. But at the same time I think about what makes me who I am and I don't want to try to be something I'm not. My dad has told me since I've been maturing that he likes when my hair is natural and not straightened. He says that he likes when I look natural and don't wear make-up. My mom always used to ask me "how does it feel to be such a pretty natural girl?" My parents have made subtle but strong efforts to make sure that I would love myself for who I am and not what I would like to be. Also, my ex-boyfriend would tell me that he likes when I don't wear make-up too because it's a more pure look. Many girls believe they need make-up to look good but in reality that shouldn't matter. When we put make-up on, it's like we're trying to hide ourselves. It helps us feel more confident but we shouldn't need make-up to feel confident.

Another thing I'd like to mention is my dad was in Los Angeles the week before school began. He would call me everyday telling me what celebrities he saw and how he ate lunch next to Jamie Spears and her mom, and how he saw Jessica Simpson crossing the street. His point was that they looked so different in person because they weren't touched up by professionals in every way possible. He saw them how they really are and not how the media shows them to us.

Agents of Socialization

As we read in the article Agents of Socialization, family was the largest aspect to help shape us as individuals and form our personalities. I can relate to this and corroborate this finding as it has completely applied to my life. My family and the experiences in which I have gone through with my family have caused me to attain certain beliefs and values. For example, my parents divorce taught me the strength I need to have in order to get through the roughest times in life. It taught me that life isn't fair and that as long as I keep my head up and take on the challenges I'm faced with, I will get through it. It taught me independence and responsibility because I needed to do a lot for myself at an early age. There are many more values that I've picked up from my childhood that I will forever carry with me through life. Another example of an agent of socialization that has affected me is the workplace. I'm currently a hostess at Kona Grill and when people ask me if I have a job or what I do on the weekends, I may reply with "I'm a hostess at Kona." The workplace is also a chance for me to meet new people and widen my horizons farther than my family and friends. I have work friends. I've formed close bonds with some of my work friends and I enjoy their presence. Also, I'm a girl with a great work ethic so the fact that I have a job helps to bring out that trait in me.

Socialization- Growing Man Metaphor

In class today we discussed the growing man metaphor. As many other things we've discussed have been of interest to me and have opened my eyes, this is another thing to add to the list. We don't usually stop to think about how we have evolved over the years and what factors have shaped who we are. We start out as little babies born into the world with no abilities other than breathing, crying, and going to the bathroom. We're simply helpless, as Mr.Salituro put it. But then, over time we get older and begin to learn new things and become less dependent on our parents. We learn to be self-sufficient and we begin to walk and talk. We become aware of our surroundings and see what it is we need to do in order to survive. Everything around us in one way or another influences us. For example, I grew up in a separated family. That alone has influenced me in many ways. For one, I've inherited the womanly role in the household so I've been doing my own laundry and cleaning since I've been in 3rd grade. I've been forced to mature and grow up a lot quicker than many other kids. I learned what it meant to be responsible and take care of myself. I can almost guarantee that if my parents hadn't gotten divorced, I wouldn't be half as independent and self-sufficient as I am now. The experiences that we go through and the challenges that we face throughout life define who we are. We are affected by everything around us and it's really fascinating how everything comes together.

The Guest Speaker

When Mr.Salituro's former student came in to class and talked about her experience in Kenya, Africa, it really got me wanting to do something like that in the future. Since we've been studying culture for the past couple weeks, it seems like it would be such a cool experience to be able to live in another culture for a good period of time. She talked about how she had to research for a while before her trip to learn about the culture in Africa so that she wouldn't offend them or anything of that sort. Because I want to go into medicine, I think it would be so rewarding for me to go some place like Africa or somewhere extremely different than America. I would be able to help the underprivileged and give to them what I've been so lucky to get my whole life. While I appreciate everything I have been given and while I've learned to not take things for granted, I feel like I'll never truly appreciate the life I've been living until I step outside of our culture and explore one much different. I want to do something that I can learn a lot from and get a sense of what it's like to not be an American for once.

America- How do you see it?

In class we've been examining American culture. We've touched upon what our norms are and how they differentiate from other countries'. I think that it's been some food for thought since most of us have probably never tried to look at our nation from an outsiders point of view. Everything that we've grown accustomed to is normal to us. But from a foreigners point of view, what we do is not normal. For example, in the article we had to read called "Bemused in America", there are scenarios about the norms of our American culture and how one from a different culture may perceive them. We, as Americans, have adapted to the lives that we've been provided with. From advanced technology to designer clothing, we've evolved into a materialistic country. Keeping in mind the "Affluenza" reading, our culture circulates around money. We have become a fast paced, greedy society. Whether that's good or bad is a personal opinion, but it's quite interesting examining our culture and the reputation we have earned.