Tailored to Grow Up

In the world of today girls feel the need to sexualize themselves. Social validation is more important to them than personal values, family, and getting good grades. Makeup and skincare can be found in their online shopping carts— replacing Christmas wish lists along with clothes that are two sizes too big or two sizes too small. They get so anxious when they can’t find their makeup that they hyperfixate on their hair and clothes and pray that their face wont receive as much attention. Their crooked teeth and hairy legs start to feel like defects that are yet to be fixed. They let their old interests sit in boxes and collect dust in the attic because they’ve been peer-pressured into believing that they’re childish and uncool— just like they were convinced that food was bad and teaming up with their own bodies to fatten them and make them too big to fit in their own minds. In the world of today, some cant afford to buy food. And those who can often wish they didn't need it, because they can also afford screens, and they can afford to spend all the time they’re not working getting addicted to the digital drugs we’ve convinced ourselves are not the problem. Because nothing is ever a problem— not to those with cool vacation pictures and straight A’s. Nothing is ever a problem for those whose perfect teeth and smile serve to display their picture-perfect lives. In the world of today, life starts being difficult at age fourteen.