The Most Beautiful Teenager competition. It's something that has been clogging my news feed from when friends of mine like some of the photos on it. What I don't understand is why someone would make a competition like that in the first place. There's a pattern that I've noticed about it that makes me wonder, why do people go to such measures to believe that they are beautiful? Can't they just believe the people around them? You don't need dozens of other people around the world to say that you're beautiful when the people that are closest to you tell you every day! I understand that some people may do it because they want a brief moment of adoration from strangers but then there is one problem that comes with this..the certain individuals that the internet call "trolls." These people would comment something that would cause others to react with anger and reply to his comment using multiple exclamation marks and in some cases lots of swear words. The troll then would continue to post on the picture as the response that he or she was trying to receive was placed before them, giving them more of an incentive to continue commenting. This in turn makes the person who posted the picture to feel ugly in some cases because they are letting this troll get to them then leave the competition feeling worse than before they entered.
Another thing about this competition is those people that put pictures of disabled children up and say "Like if you have a heart." Now, that is completely inappropriate to use these children as a sideshow. Those children have feeling. I'm sure that they would get teased because of their condition from other children their age. But posting the picture up on the Internet for the same people who probably teased them to view and say "Like if you have a heart" they are going to like and say how sad it is that a child is like. Disabled children are not there for you to use their pictures to gain Internet popularity. If the child thinks they are beautiful then let them put the picture up themselves because it is important for someone to be comfortable in their own skin. So please, if you have a heart, take the picture down because even though you think that the people who like feel sorry for the young child's condition think again, because I can assure you that many of the people that view will be laughing at the child and teasing them for they way they look.
Also, girls, when you put up a picture that reads "Natural, no make-up" be sure that one, you either have no make-up on or two, the make-up is not noticeable because if a boy can point out that you are wearing make-up then you can't keep saying that you're not. Because a picture of having "no make-up" but the smallest section of your eyelashes are stuck together by what is clearly mascara and a boy notices this, then you might as well just admit it, you are wearing make-up. And that also is very sad, that people are ashamed of other people seeing their natural beauty. For those girls that did put up pictures of no make-up congratulations for being comfortable enough with your looks to put it up and ignore what people will say about it. But then again, we live in a society where women are expected to look their best at all times, which apparently doesn't include sweat pants, no make-up, your comfortable baggy shirt and unbrushed yet still decent looking bed hair even when you wake up in the morning!
The truth is that everyone is beautiful, just accept it! Someone that you might think of as unattractive, someone thinks is the most beautiful person they have seen in their lives! So, I have to tell you that I love myself the way I am. I wouldn't change a thing because I believe that I am beautiful because I hear it everyday from people who are very special to me. I must admit that it took me a long time to accept myself the way I am but once I did, I was finally happy. Find that something about yourself that you love, that something that makes you believe that you are beautiful and embrace it, hold it and use it to make you feel better. You are beautiful, you don't need a competition to tell you that.
Thursday, 15 March 2012
Book Addictions
Anthony Horowitz has written a series of books about a young boy named Alex Rider. If you've read them then good; that means you know what I'm talking about. If not but you like reading about under age children being forced into working for a government protection agency in order for family members or close friends to be kept alive or to remain living in the country rather than deported because their visa has expired, then these are the books for you. However, I do believe that there are too many of them. Others may not be of this opinion but I am.
I was very satisfied with the ending to Crocodile Tears, book number eight in the series, and was very hopeful that it was the last book. I was excited when another one didn't come out within the usual timeline for another Alex Rider book to be released. However, a few months afterwards he came out with the final book. I honestly could not believe what I was seeing. There it was, sitting on the shelve waiting to be picked up and read by the young teens of the world. I on the other hand, vowed never to read the abomination that was set before me. I avoided book stores for weeks on end but over time, my curiosity became too much, I had to buy the book and read it. Then it hit me! Authors write books that certain groups of people become addicted to. And because of this, no matter how many times they put your favourite character though hell and back, they know that even though you may promise to never read it because you believe that the character has been through enough as it is, you will end up reading the book.
But, as there are more and more books about your favourite character, it does become more and more difficult to be committed to reading them, taking you a longer amount of time to read. Unless they are the Harry Potter books. Each time a new one came out you read it faster than you did the previous one, no matter how much thicker the new one is. But once you finish a series, you need to find another one to pass your time. Books are highly addictive but at least they are good. They expand you vocabulary and improve your reading skills. So, this is my thank you to the authors of the world who write the book series that I get addicted to. I thank you for providing the one reason that I curl up in bed or on the couch and just read about the adventures of the characters and the worlds that you have created as an escape from a bad day. Without it, there are many people like me who would be lost without the opportunity to lose ourselves in our imaginations to the various worlds you have created.
I was very satisfied with the ending to Crocodile Tears, book number eight in the series, and was very hopeful that it was the last book. I was excited when another one didn't come out within the usual timeline for another Alex Rider book to be released. However, a few months afterwards he came out with the final book. I honestly could not believe what I was seeing. There it was, sitting on the shelve waiting to be picked up and read by the young teens of the world. I on the other hand, vowed never to read the abomination that was set before me. I avoided book stores for weeks on end but over time, my curiosity became too much, I had to buy the book and read it. Then it hit me! Authors write books that certain groups of people become addicted to. And because of this, no matter how many times they put your favourite character though hell and back, they know that even though you may promise to never read it because you believe that the character has been through enough as it is, you will end up reading the book.
But, as there are more and more books about your favourite character, it does become more and more difficult to be committed to reading them, taking you a longer amount of time to read. Unless they are the Harry Potter books. Each time a new one came out you read it faster than you did the previous one, no matter how much thicker the new one is. But once you finish a series, you need to find another one to pass your time. Books are highly addictive but at least they are good. They expand you vocabulary and improve your reading skills. So, this is my thank you to the authors of the world who write the book series that I get addicted to. I thank you for providing the one reason that I curl up in bed or on the couch and just read about the adventures of the characters and the worlds that you have created as an escape from a bad day. Without it, there are many people like me who would be lost without the opportunity to lose ourselves in our imaginations to the various worlds you have created.