Representation in The Media

In today's society, so many people are trying to look like the celebrities and models we
see in the media. People idolize them and aspire to be just like them. I had never really
considered how much it matters to see yourself on the screen before reading this article. I never
considered the effects the media had on us other than spending too much time on social media.
So what are these effects? We tend to categorize what is “okay” or “normal” by what we see in
the media. People that are black, gay, or transgender for example are often frowned upon. But
why? One reason we should consider is that we do not see this in the media very often.  
I have long blonde hair (kinda it's getting darker), deep blue eyes and both of my parents
are white.  I'm 16, have good friends, and lead a pretty good life.  For me, I see people that look
like me in the media all the time.  Which can be positive and negative. Unlike Scaachi Koul I
have people to look up to, people that look like me. There are people I can relate to and people
to look up to give me a sense of direction.  Almost any TV or movie I watch there is at least one
person that has the same attributes as I do.  But this can lead to comparison. When I wake up
and look in the mirror I would say I'm pretty self-confident. But then when I turn on social media
sometimes these thoughts can change without me being aware.  Sure, I look similar but, will this
make me question how I look for not being as ‘pretty’ or as successful as them.   So many
strong female leads, Disney princesses, and any female character we look up to are small,
pretty, and seem to lead a next to perfect life. But we should not expect to be the way we
perceive these characters. It's all for show. People often only share the good parts of their life
and hide any struggles which are one part of social media I think should change.  We should not
be ashamed to share something different from social norms.  We are all different and have
different paths.