Self- esteem absent in teens
By Anna West
Reporter
“I like myself. I’m good. I’m capable. I
have something positive to offer myself and
otherpeople.”
How often do people in the 90’s think and
believe these statements about themselves?
Most psychologists say not enough. Every
one suffers fiom low self-esteem at some point
in their lives. However, many people con
stantly belittle themselves inwardly and truly
believe that they are worthless.
The National Coimcil for Self-Esteem
(NCSE) in Sacramento, California defines
self- esteem as “the experience of feeling that
you’re worthy of happiness and capable of
managing life’s challenges.” It is abalanced
combination of self-confidence and self-re
spect.
Most psychologists agree that people are
bom with enough self-confidence to get
through all of life’s ups and downs. But as
they get older, people are bombarded with
numerous comparisons and small messages
that they are not good enough, and they be
come self-conscious. These instances chip
away at their self-confidence until soon they
begin to give themselves negative feedback
at times in their lives when they most need a
healthy self-esteem.
Research points to the fact that more
womenhave low self
esteem than men.
During their educa
tion, women do as
well or better than
men academically.
However, their self
esteem decreases.
Between kindergar
ten and high school,
girls’ self-esteem drops much more signifi
cantly than boys’. In kindergarten, the vast
majority of students are happy being them
selves, but by high school, only 29% of girls
continue to feel good about themselves as op
posed to 46% of boys.
Self-criticism, particularly about their bod
ies, influences self- esteem. In one test where
men and women are asked to pick the silhou
ette of their body out of a variety of weights,
men pick a silhouette two or three sizes thin
ner and women choose one two or three sizes
larger, regardless of their actual size.
People have an idol that they would like
to be and expect themselves to be. They ei
ther view themselves as being farther from
their idealistic self than they actually are or
have unrealistically perfect idols to try to live
v5)to. When individual events occur in their
lives that are disappointing or that don’t live
up to their expectations, people tend to blow
the experiences out of proportion. Each bad
experience eats away at their self-esteem.
Between kindergarten and
high school, girls' self- esteem
drops much more significantly
them boys'.
Psychologists
suggest that people
make a list of their
good qualities,
events that turned
out well, and goals
they have reached.
When something
goes wrong in their
lives, they can con
sult that list. Then they see the bad event as a
specific experience, not a characteristic that
defines their whole lives.
Another important response to negative
ejqreiiences and feelings is to face the ejqrosed
flaw and think about small things that can be
done to improve, not give up on yourself.
, There are many small ways to improve
self-esteem and keep up self-confidence. One
is to spend lots of time around friends who
care about you and let you know it. Experts
say that friends are very important to self-es
teem because they reinforce positive beliefs
and make up the “psychic family,” which pro-
vides support as well as objectivity.
MamadouNiang, a senior, says, “My friends
influence my self- esteem because they play
a big part of who I am.”
Other ways to improve self-esteem include
beginning the day with a fun routine, staying
physically healthy, learning new skills and
hobbies, setting small goals that are easy to
meet, visualizing success, acting confident.
and substituting the word “could” for
“should” when criticizing actions.
Experts disagree as to whether the road to
healthy self-esteem is self-gratification, mean
ing people focus on their good qualities and
positive attributes they already have, or self-
improvement, or achieving goals and thereby
sending a positive sense of accomplishment
without focusing entirely on oneself
Some psychologists believe that self-grati
fication ultimately leads to selfishness, which
causes a loss of friends and support, bringing
down a person’s self-esteem. People learn to
place themselves above others and not to re
spect others. These experts support self-im
provement, as do many Grimsley students.
Zach Johnson, a sophomore, says, “ (I sup
port) self-improvement because whenever I
accomplish something, it makes me stronger
as a person and helps me set and achieve new
goals.”
Otlier students believe that self-gratifica
tion is the best way to improve self-esteem.
Abi Harris, a freshman, says, “Telling your
self you’re okay is better because you don’t
have to worry about what other people tltink
about you.”
Officer Robinette says, “I believe that con
fidence in your own ability and self-discipline
are tire keys to achievement.”
Lara Dean, a sophomore, says, “I think it
has to be a combination of botlr.”
Amnesty utilizes the power of words
By Peter Baggish
Reporter
They sit and write letters, nothing more.
They write to foreign govermnents and to state
governments insisting on basic humanrights.
On Wednesdays about 20 students file into
the Grimsley Media Centerandbegin to work
for a someone’s arrmesty, someone they do
not know, and will probably never meet.
Why do they do it? Because he is human,
just like the rest of us and does not deserve
tlie kind of horrid, inhuman treatmeiit that
goes imnoticed and unrecognized and has
been going on for a hundred years. It might
seem worthless and futile, but governments
around the world consider supporters of hu
man rights to be dangerous enemies. Letters
from the United States are particularly influ
ential.
Since 1988 the Grimsley chapter of Am
nesty International has been wielding their
truly powerful pens in hundreds of selfless
campaigns. Worldwide, chapters work to
prevent some of the gravest violations of hu
man riglits. The movement is independent of
any government, political grouping, ideology.
*1
I
econontic interest or religious creed. Started
in 1961, Arrmesty International seeks the
immediate and unconditional release of all
prisoners of conscience - those imprisoned
solely for their beliefs, color, sex, ethiuc ori
gin, language or religion - who have not used
or advo cated the use of violence. They op
pose the death penalty, torture, and other
cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or
purushment of all prisoners.
Daruelle Rossi, a jutuor, is Vice-President
of Amnesty International and is frustrated
with the lack of interest from the student body.
She says, “People don’t evenrealize what am-
nestj'means. We carmotbe apathetic to the
atrocities that terrorists and even governments
commit every single day.” Being an active
human rights supporter doesn’t require that
much effort. Postcards are handed out and
only a signature is needed - a thought to the
well-being of another human. “You don’t
have to agree with everything Amnesty In
ternational stands for, only that you care, and
it works,” says Rossi, “It really works.”
Hundreds of wrongly accused and incarcer
ated prisoners have been released due to tire
efforts of Amnesty International students.
■ II ^,
This family is one of 300, 000 in Kenya who are forced to move to refugee Amnesty photo
camps due to the ethnic violence caused by the Moi government
Around the world people are imprisoned and tortured
for their religion, politictil beliefs, language,
color, sex, and ethnic background.
Amnesty International uses
the power of words
to work against
injustice.
Join the
(Erimsley AmiEKggily Clhsipitier
by contacting
Erin Murphy, Danielle Rossi, or Mrs. Vanstory.
UJrite a letter; saue a life.