Meeting Girls Where They Are
Today’s teen girl has so many more potential dangers than any proceeding generation. Just consider that eating issues, self-esteem issues, and identity issues usually begin soon before or during puberty. Eating disorders like binge eating, bulimia, or anorexia can have a negative impact on a teen girl’s family relationships, her physical health, her outlook, attitude, and her relationship with God.
Women are more likely than men to suffer from eating disorders. Add to this problem the invention of Instagram, Tik Tok, and other social media platforms and you have a recipe for disaster in today’s teenage girl.
At Evanglehouse therapeutic boarding school for girls in Hawaii, we see a lot of teen girls who are trying to find their place in society and want to be recognized and appreciated for who they are. Many of the young ladies we work with at Evangelhouse are dealing with anxiety and insecurity, and the root cause can be often traced back to a social media app. Often, it’s the student’s peers at their school who are causing the trouble. We address comparing ourselves to others in group therapy, and why the image you see on Instagram might not be an accurate portrayal of that person’s life.
We understand that many girls may experience emotions of loneliness and even as far as depression as a result of not fitting in, whether that is real or imagined. Add to that, consider all of the negativity today’s teen girl finds online. Violent video games, sexualized content, bullying, hate speech, and more are readily available online. Add to this the constant comparison and competition for “likes” and followers their peers in the high school compete for. It’s no wonder so many girls report feeling depressed.
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms can be fantastic methods for kids to engage with the world when used appropriately. On the other side, they can be quite dangerous and harmful to self-esteem and more when misused. Our staff oversees and influences the culture of positive-peer influence at Evangelhouse. In this way, we seek to guide our students towards a more mature and responsible way of interacting and facing the dangers in today’s world.