Judging Yourself Causes More Harm than You Think

In this TED Talk, Meaghan Ramsey explains how the way we think about ourselves can heavily influence our brain, which leads to mental illnesses. In today's culture, we are surrounded by social media, and are persuaded into believing that there is a certain appearance that we have to fit, in order to be accepted. As a result, teens, in particular, suffer heavily from anxiety and depression as they struggle to fit into this mold. Their low body confidence also leads to eating disorders, such as anorexia, as well as, self harm, and alcohol/drug abuse. Studies have also revealed that low body confidence causes relationships, physical abilities, and education to suffer. Ramsey came up with a solution to help struggling teens. She believes that by providing education that stresses the importance of respecting and valuing ourself, as well as, making individuals aware that what they see through the media is very unrealistic and often times very unhealthy, can drastically help prevent  mental illnesses such as depression and eating disorders, which are commonly effecting many adolescents. Furthermore, we should encourage them to realize that they should love the way they look, as everyone is uniquely beautiful.


TED Talk:  https://www.ted.com/talks/meaghan_ramsey_why_thinking_you_re_ugly_is_bad_for_you#t-706598