Growing up with technology really has made a big impact on the youth. The youth seems to not be able to live without their phones, laptops, iPad, etc. Truthfully, as a seventeen years old, I exhibit similar behavior. People’s mindsets recently have been very negative. I feel like everyone tries to become someone they aren’t and it is effecting their self esteem.

Seeing people put themselves down all the time doesn’t create a positive atmosphere for young adults; teens should never have to feel that way but unfortunately we do, and still go through the same things, just like an adult. A lot of people also grow up in a bad household or in the system, which is another reason why learning to love yourself is difficult. I do believe that there is ways to take yourself out of those kind of situations, and learn to have a better mindset and goal in life.

Elyse Santilli on the Huff Post, made very valid points in her article, discussing about why you should adore yourself. ” You have to love yourself on the bad days too,” and she is completely right. That is very important to remember; when things do not go your way your first thought is, “Wow, I hate myself,” then you start to loath in all the bad things you’ve ever done and feel guilty about everything.

It seems like a lot of people rely on things to make them happy when really YOU should be the one relying on yourself. People find distractions and say that this will make them happy or makes them feel pretty, For example; Getting a boyfriend, making a lot of money, wearing makeup, etc. Those things are amazing yes, but for the most part those things do not last and your back at square one…being the insecure, debby-downer when your really something more.

When you try to act like something or someone you’re not, you will end up getting kicked around and end up doing things that you will regret in the future. Peer pressure is a strong reason as to why teenagers do what they do. Drink, smoke, have sex, ditch school; some people are just meant to do those type of things, but if you know that your a straight A student who has never even watched a R-rated movie, then it makes you feel somewhat bad about yourself. Others will also perceive as a “wanna-be’, or “band-wagon” but who cares about what people think right?

I asked people whom I go to school with. Junior, Michael Salazar says “All your going to to have at the end is yourself.”  Which is true whether your single or not.

Senior, Kierin Daughtery says “Why should you put on an act to conform to society when in reality people will probably like you for YOU, better than who you’re trying to be?” Believe it or not, people judge you for every little thing you do, we study how people act.

So LEARN TO LOVE YOURSELF AND NEVER SETTLE FOR LESS! Learn to be you and not care about how you look or what people say…even if they are judging. Life only gets harder, and being a negative person walking on this earth, is just a waste of time. We live to love life not to hate it, even though we have hardships that we have to face..SO WHAT? We get through them.