"Through The Looking Glass"

a story by Bridget

I'm going to tell you a storyabout a girl who changed for the better. She once was a judgemental materialistic teen who was a victim of the media. In case you do not know what the media is, it is a huge network of companies trying to interfere with their top consumer...The Teenager. Before entering the class I never would have been able to see what media had done to me. I was so terrible to some people. I would try to associate myself with the "cool' kids. What makes a "cool" kid you ask? The clothes of course, it does not matter what kind of person they are. You have to be a party animal no matter what the situation, you must go with the flow to be "cool."

Media Literacy has shown me a world behind the scenes. During the course we learned about body image and how it affects teens. Being a teenager is hard but being a female in our society is even harder. The make up, the hair, the clothes, and the body. The media shows America women whether it be on TV or a magazine cover, it's always the same, a gorgeous woman half naked with absolutely no flaws. How am I supposed to compete with that? Only one way. Here's how I tried, I was a jerk to all of my friends that weren't cool enough for me. I found new ones that I didn't even like but at least they were cool. I spent all the money I had saved up for make up, hair products, and clothes. I bought all of my clothes one or two sizes to small. Why? I was on a "diet". You know the diet where you only eat if absolutley necessary. I would exercise all day everyday and completly drain myself. I had no moer time for anything. especially homework. My grades suffered and so did I. I started to feel really sad at home. I was always so tired and just slept my weekends away. I missed going to the mall, being crazy, and laughing hysterically with my friends. But I had what I wanted. I was "cool."

In media lit, I learned that models are fixed on a computer screen. I learned that many models have physcological problems from eating disorders. I learned that media is fake. It is a drug. I was addicted. I would've worn anything the media said was in style. I learned I had a problem. Thank god it didn't go as far as an eating disorder or any kind of mental illness. I started to hang out with my old friends again and boy am I glad. I'm not tired, or sad, and I don't care what I wear because my friends don't care either. Who was I trying to impress? Some pop star I'll never meet? Maybe I was crazy but now I know who is crazy. It's the girls who sit at the "cool" table in the caf. Who aren't even friends.

I feel so rejuvinated. I'm on the outside of the looking glass peering in and watching the puppets. The puppets that the media controls. I'll always be on the outside with my true friends laughing at the fools. Maybe someday they'll escape too with an education about Media Literacy and will be with me looking through the glass.

In Her Skin

There Is Peace