Teen Girls are in a Mental Health Crisis

By Bradi DuGal

A sign with the message “self care isn’t selfish”. Image sourced from Pexels.

According to a new CDC report comprised of data from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, teenage girls are experiencing concerning levels of sadness, hopelessness, and depression, with nearly three in five girls feeling this way. According to the report, this number is up almost 60% from 2011, just ten years ago. But it doesn’t stop there, unfortunately; the CDC also found that more than one in four girls seriously considered suicide in 2021, also up nearly 60% from 2011, and that more than one in ten attempted suicide, up 30% from 2011.

The report doesn’t explain why these numbers are skyrocketing, however, it does provide information about a couple of potential factors; first, the levels of sexual violence being experienced by teenage girls is also increasing each year, with about one in five experiencing this type of violence in the past year, which is up 20% since 2017. Additionally, more than one in ten girls reported having been, at some point, forced to have sex. This number is up 27% from 2019, when the CDC first began monitoring this phenomenon Aside from sexual violence, the report clarifies that a combination of several complex factors can put youth at risk for depression, suicide, substance use, poor academic performance, and more. It also explains that alcohol use is higher among teen girls than teen boys, a fact that is widely backed by other researchers and organizations.

Recognizing Weaponized Incompetence

By Gladys Lemesurier

Image from Flickr by John

The vastness of the internet gives us all access to more information than we’ll ever know what to do with. Those of us that experienced the introduction of technology during our childhoods can’t imagine living in a time before Google was readily available at our fingertips. Having constant access to anything and everything you can think of might sound like a negative thing, and at times it can be a bit much. But it also allows us to learn about things we might not otherwise. In the case of social media, we can learn things about ourselves and other people. The popular video-sharing platform, TikTok, has recently become a popular place for all kinds of advice, though the most noticeable is the increase in relationship advice and how to identify toxic traits in partners.

Most social media platforms focus on presenting perfectly manicured versions of our lives. We post our best days on Instagram and Facebook, often not sharing the reality of those moments. But TikTok has proven itself different as a social media platform with its large number of creators dedicated to exposing the real parts of life and relationships. One thing that I learned about fairly recently on TikTok is the idea of weaponized incompetence. Though the term first showed up in 2007, it’s not really a new thing. 

How to Make your Instagram a Positivity Haven

All Bodies are Beautiful
Image taken from: Creative Commons

By Bailey Brockett

When I cut my hair, I spent a solid hour trying to take a picture of it with one goal in mind: Instagram. I needed the likes and comments to validate essentially everything, or at least temporarily remind me that I had friends. I eventually, and quite reluctantly, gave up due to several thoughts passing through my brain, the first being that my new haircut made my face look much rounder than it used to. You could clearly see the Jimmy John’s sandwich sticking out in the overalls I was wearing, which led to the certainty that if I posted this picture, everyone would know that I was the kid that got fat after high school. My relationship with Instagram has always been similar to this process, and I realized then that maybe it wasn’t healthy for me to be partaking in it, or social media in general. It is safe to say that Instagram is one of the first platforms to pop into our heads when we think about social media, and while it can negatively impact our mental health, I also believe it can be used as a tool to remind us that we are all human. Here are five ways to make your Instagram a positivity haven.

1. Unfollow People

I know this is the one that you hear constantly, but you hear it for a reason. It works. Unfollow the people from high school whose posts bring nothing but annoyance or jealousy. It doesn’t matter if they always leave nice comments on your posts. Unfollow accounts and celebrities who endorse unhealthy dieting products, or who make you feel insecure. Unless you are truly serious about fitness, unfollow those accounts as well, especially if seeing their posts makes you feel guilty rather than inspired. Go through the list of people you follow and take time to make a truly honest purge.

2. Follow Accounts that Inspire You

What hobbies or activities bring you joy? What would you like to learn more about? Science, art, poetry, aligning your chakras? There are accounts for everything! Follow accounts that add value to your day by teaching you or inspiring you. Follow accounts that make you laugh or post encouraging quotes. Here are a few of my favorites:

1. The Awkward Yeti – A comic artist who humorously personifies body parts.
2. Introvert Doodles – A comic artist who portrays the struggles and benefits of being an introvert.
3. Heikala – A relaxing watercolor artist.
4. Feminist – Inspiring and informative posts related to women and feminism.
5. The Just Girl Project – An account dedicated to inspiring women.
6. Reveal Mission – Chad Estes is a photographer whose photos tell stories of women and their body image journey.
7. Artwork Paradise – An account that shares a variety of artwork from artists globally.
8. Period Movement – A non-profit organization dedicated to ending period poverty, and the stigma surrounding menstruation.
9. Strange Planet – A comic artist who portrays aliens experiencing mundane, human tasks.
10. Michael James Schneider – A balloon artist, but not in the way that you would expect.

3. Follow People Who Inspire You

Following celebrities on Instagram certainly has its perks. Followers can feel a closer connection with their favorite musicians, actors, etc. However, sometimes we follow celebrities simply because they are just that, a celebrity. Ask yourself: Does this person bring any value to my scrolling? Do I feel insecure after having seen this post? If so, unfollow them and find people who you feel represent you in the media. Here are some of my favorites:

1. Jameela Jamil – The Good Place actor and body acceptance advocate
2. Megan Jayne Crabbe (bodyposipanda) – feminist, author, and body positivity influencer
3. Lizzo – Singer and body positivity advocate
4. Ashley Graham – Plus size model
5. Greta Thunberg – A young climate activist
6. Abi’s Blog – A fashion and lifestyle blogger who refers to herself as “midsize”
7. Charlotte Price – Fashion, travel, and body positivity vlogger
8. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – New York Congresswoman
9. Lucy Wood – YouTuber who runs a series called #averagegirlsize
10. Jazzmyne – Buzzfeed producer and body confidence promoter

4. Take Breaks

Something I’m starting to see consistently is people posting on their stories that they are taking a break for a week or two and I always think to myself that it’s a fantastic idea. There are countless benefits from taking a few weeks off from Instagram. Social media inevitably leads us to compare aspects of ourselves with others, many of whom have a job to post and look fantastic. This allows for even more insecurity to wreak havoc in our lives, which, honestly, who has time for? A break from social media would also allow individuals to have authentic human interaction, which can lead to new friendships and healthier relationships!

5. Make Sure Your Posts are Also Contributing to the Positive Atmosphere

When you are posting a picture, make sure you ask yourself the reasons for doing so. Don’t do the, “Felt cute, might delete later.” If you feel cute, post it and be confident! If you don’t, don’t post it simply for the purpose of receiving compliments from others. Don’t post pictures or videos that may be offensive to particular groups of people or make passive aggressive comments toward others. Post your art, writing, poetry, photography, and don’t worry about what the response you may receive. Create a platform of what inspires you and brings you joy. Put into social what you want you get out of it.

Silence and Oppression

BY ALEXANDRIA ARRITT

The election of 2016 was an incredibly trying time for people of all political parties, friendships, and families. Although difficult for me as well, I was very vocal about my opinions especially through social media. Social media is one of the most prominent and available platforms to share information, current events, and even political discourse. During that time though many people avoided social media. The stress of the election was a great one to bear for sure. I did feel, however, that it was important for me to explain why this election was so important and why I feared the possible outcomes for the next four years.

Meanwhile, I had many people tell me that they unfollowed me or stayed off social media or refused to discuss opinions between people. Of course, I understand that some conversations will lead nowhere, but no conversation at all will also lead nowhere. There is a balance there that naturally comes with judgement. Even after the election is long past many people continue to stay silent on issues that are held very close to my heart as well as many others. While I understand wholly the seemingly unnecessary stress talking about politics may have on a relationship of any kind, I still find my heart dropping when people tell me they don’t talk about politics. This is because politics is a lot more than just that. “Politics” entail the livelihood and safety of ourselves and those around us, politics are healthcare and reproductive rights and environmental concerns and politics concern so many different life’s and families. If politics don’t affect you, they will affect someone you know and may care about.

A Day In The Life Of A Married College Girl

By: Madelyn Starritt

I am a busy girl, I go to school full time, have a job and a husband. I have a routine, a set schedule for what I do most days of the week but it is almost always go, go, go, rush on to the next thing I have to do and then go home and take a nap. I never actually take a minute and think about the things I get to experience in a day or how it makes me feel, so welcome to my journey! I have decided to document a day in my week to actually think about the things I do and feel and I’m bringing you all with me. Welcome to my Thursday complete with pictures and descriptions.

Let’s Talk About D.C

By: Tatiana Rodriguez

During the year of 2017 over a dozen black and Latina girls have gone missing in Washington D.C, but media outlets are not covering this issue. According to Times online, these girls went missing between March 19 and March 24. Social media outlets, like Twitter, quickly picked up the story and spread like wildfire. Social media users critiqued police for their lack of outcry for these missing girls.
I have seen these photographs of the young girls all over my twitter feed and have seen celebrities like Gabriel Union and Chrissy Teigen retweet stories and question why there hasn’t been much done to find these girls.

Carly Fiorina vs. Hilary Clinton in the Presidential election

Defining feminism can be tricky due to the broad perspectives and misconceptions people have about the word. Feminism is the belief that women are and should be treated on an even playing field when defining rights, opportunities and societal interests. This term is skewed out of proportion because; people narrowly define feminism as a one political party campaign. Feminism is a social advocacy campaign that is to promote women’s rights when regarding social and economic equality to men.  Carly Fiorina one of the female republican president nominees wants to refine feminism and point out that republican woman also suffer from sexism and belittling talk in the media industry. Carly Fiorina wants women to decide who they are rather than having society tell them who they should be.  “Feminism began as a rallying cry to empower women, but over the years, feminism has devolved into a left leaning political ideology where women are pitted against men and used as a political weapon to win election said Carly Fiorina (Berenson, Tessa. Here’s How Carly Fiorina Wants to Redefine Feminism.”).  What Carly Fiorina means by this is, that both democrat women and, republican women are fighting when in all reality they should be working together. Since women are not working together due to differing ideologies the feminism movement has primary been seen as only a left-winged movement. However, the concept of Feminism is by nature much more inclusive, and needs to be treated as such in order to advocate and empower women across all social positions regardless of political ideology.

Two examples of powerful women figures are Carly Fiorina and Hilary Clinton. Both Carly Fionia and Hilary Clinton are going down their campaign trails while reporters and opposing male candidates negatively comment on their physical appearances .For an example, Donald Trump insulted Carly Fiorina in a Rolling stone article questioning her credibility because of her gender. “Look at that face! Would anyone vote for that? Can you image that, the face of our next president?”(Linskey, Annie. “Hillary Clinton Slams Donald Trump for Insulting Carly Fiorina’s Appearance).   Words like this symbolize the tough environment women must endure if they are successful and society is biased against electing them due to sexism on the campaign trail. There has not been one female president and the majority of people choose to prefer white men over women because of the sexist views that women are too emotional to handle domestic affairs intelligently. You can see this gender bias as evident when reporters ask if she is running for vice president and commenting on her nail polish rather than on something important.  Similarly Hilary Clinton is criticized by the Republican nominees in a similar fashion. Hilary has to endure personal style comments by Republican presidential contenders and integrity questions when regarding the email server.  Hilary may be the ideal liberal feminist however, being trustworthy is important especially when she has so much power and influence.  Hilary lives by the words of feminism she lets the public know she supports equal rights for women.  “Women and girls are central to our foreign policy and that nations that support women are more stable and are less likely to breed extremism” (Megan Gibson “Hillary Clinton Wants You to Call Her a Feminist).  I think the question society should ask if it is the right time for one of these female candidates to take over the oval office. People should vote for the right women that they think will do their job right and make the correct changes. Once one of these women is elected life would change for America. Women will gain credibility; respect and society will say they are tired of the sexist ideals that people assume that since society wants women to be home we should find ways to put down the women that want to become more than a housewife. If society elects a woman into office and, she is successful society will have to change their gender ideals .Men and society would have to admit they are wrong about their preconceived notions of the female gender. A female president would encourage a societal and cultural shift on the perspectives on women. Being president has nothing to do with your gender, it should be about leadership skills and the ability to adapt, listen to your people and using common sense. I believe women would fulfill the position of presidency well because they listen better, and, have the guts to say how they feel.  Evidently both women running for office may be different politically and ideologically but, we must look deeper into women right issues past the titles of Democrat or Republican.  Their political stances might seem important however, we must look into their values to see who would fit America in the right way to successful lead us out of debt and international troubles.

Feminism: Epistemology and Society

 

 

By Cassie Hammerly

“Would the world seem entirely different if it were pictured, felt, described, studied, and thought about from the point of view of a woman?” Epistemology is the study of knowledge, and is primarily concerned with the conditions, sources, structure, and limits of what one can sufficiently know. Feminist epistemology studies “knowers” in relation to the knowledge they possess. It studies the content of what is known, they way it is known, and how this manifests in situations, perspectives, and behavior. This branch of philosophy addresses background beliefs, gender roles, gender norms, and performance/behavior. The meaning of “knowledge” can alter if it is subjected to the scrutiny of social context.

Society’s knowledge of women can shape the perception of women. “Impersonal knowledge is coded as “masculine” while personal knowledge is coded as “feminine.” The former enjoys higher prestige than the latter. This has the potential to affect the way women perceive themselves. In school, boys are thought to be better at mathematics than girls. The lack of sufficient statistics supporting this belief suggests this is not actually the case. There is no difference in performance before the age of seven. “Mathematics is considered masculine and therefore prestigious.” Because of the way they are socialized, girls come to believe they are inferior to boys mathematically. The self-fulfilling prophecy indicates that the expectation about a situation affects the behavior of an individual in a manner that causes the expectation to be fulfilled. The expectation that girls have regarding their mathematical performance is reflected in their efforts and resulting performance in later years of education.

Think Before You Speak

Nick Dimico

Companies all over the world have been caught in the scandal of speaking before thinking. This, of course, is not anything new, but one company has made major headlines over past weeks due to the anti-gay remarks made by its president.

Barilla, the world’s largest pasta company, had its President, Guido Barilla, speak on an Italian radio show on September 25^th. When the radio host asked why the company does not feature gay families in its ads, Barilla gave the following statement, per a Huffington Post translation of the interview.:

We have a slightly different culture…For us, the ‘sacral family’ remains one of the company’s core values. Our family is a traditional family. If gays like our pasta and our advertisings,  they will eat our pasta; if they don’t like that, they will eat someone else’s pasta. You can’t always please everyone not to displease anyone. I would not do a commercial with a homosexual family, not for lack of respect toward homosexuals – who have the right to do whatever they want without disturbing others – but because I don’t agree with them, and I think we want to talk to traditional families.

Personally, I find it quite amusing when companies such as Barilla make comments like this, because you would think that with how big the company is in the industry, that they would have the decency to keep their anti-gay opinions to themselves. Instead they make remarks like this and try to cover them up with an apology the next day. Sorry Barilla, it’s not going to work.

In today’s society, making remarks like this will cost you. According to ABC News, Barilla brings in a half billion dollars a year in U.S. sales alone, which now could be affected.

Within minutes of the comments hitting the internet universe, people all over the world became angered through social media.

According to Daily Finance, Barilla trended on Twitter for perhaps the first time ever, and it appears a boycott is now well under way. The executive quickly issued a clarification of his comments, writing on the Barilla corporate website that he had “utmost respect” for gay people and their marriages and that he apologized if [his] words have generated controversy or misunderstanding, or if they hurt someone’s sensitivity.”

Sensitivity? Misunderstanding? I think we heard you loud and clear Mr. Barilla. You find that the LGBT community sits on a different level then you do. It’s OK; I think we got your point.

“It’s the kind of non-apology apology with the words “sorry you were offended” that’s unlikely to cure anyone’s damaged “sensitivity.”

Model Christine Teigan, wife of singer John Legend tweeted; “Yikes. Bye, bye, me using Barilla.”

After realizing the way in which Barilla’s remarks affected the public, Barilla met with the Italian LGBT associations on October 7^th in Bologna, northern Italy to simmer the boycott from its products and company. Barilla is trying to turn down the heat by proposing pro-gay policies for the future.

Although Barilla said they won’t feature gay families in there advertising, many other pasta companies will according to the Huffington Post. Below are just a few of the companies that have been open to the LGBT community.

Buitoni Pasta:

B

Bertolli Pasta:

Garofalo Pasta:

According to the company’s website Guido Barilla issued a formal statement of apology.

At Barilla, we care about everyone, regardless of race, religion, belief, gender or sexual orientation. Our mission is to help people – every single person – live better, by bringing well-being and the joy of eating into their everyday lives. 

We value and respect a family, that includes everyone. As stated in the Barilla lighthouse – our strategy document – we promote diversity. Diversity of all kinds is a clear objective that the company has put forward. 

Barilla recognizes cultural, gender and skills diversity as an essential value for the company’s well-being. Integrity, inclusion, social and environmental responsibility are the values in which Barilla reflects itself, as results of a strong and widely recognized identity. 

Barilla firmly believes that, in order to qualify its business activities as ethical, it shall operate in respecting and safeguarding human rights, the regenerative capabilities of the Planet and the welfare of communities, while promoting a sustainable human development.

Barilla’s goal goes beyond bringing high-quality food products that are good for people. We also take care of our planet, by focusing on growing the business of those food products that have a low environmental impact. 

We will take advantage of the recent incident to learn and to promote even harder the diversity path that Barilla has undertaken.

To all our friends, family, employees and partners that we have hurt or offended, we are deeply sorry.

-Guido Barilla

It’s shocking the way the company can go out and speak to the media and not be able to predict the consequences that come with their actions, especially by ‘coming out’ and stating an apology that you are wanting to propose pro-gay policies when we already heard that you don’t believe that the LGBT community has the same human rights as you do. Please save your fake apologizes for someone else, and next time, think before you speak.