How does social pressure affect the self image of teen girls?

If you think about it, the girls around you are all under the same pressures you are to keep up with work and friends and family; sooner or later, the stress gets to everybody. Just like you, they also have the media cramming the idea that "Super thin is in" down their throats, and frustration can set in when they find themselves unable to fulfill their supermodel wannabe dream. It can create a lot of anxiety when you feel that you constantly need to compete with everyone around you -- not just in terms of how thin you are, but also for a place on an athletic team, for academic standing in class, within a group of friends, or even over a certain boy. In extreme cases, these pressures can lead to an eating disorder.

Nobody’s perfect, but media aimed at teen girls often makes them think they should be. In this video, psychologist Dr. Jennifer Hartstein discusses ways that parents can help kids love themselves no matter what they see on TV.