Low self-esteem, competition, pressure, assumptions, and expectations: thoughts and words that haunt a teenage girl’s brain. Each girl is in a battle of her own; some battles are disguised under her smiling face, and some are fought publicly and can be humiliating. Some battles are won, some lost, and some forfeited. According to dosomething.org, seven out of ten girls believe that they are not good enough or don’t measure up in some way, including their looks, performance in school, and relationships with friends and family members. With existing pressure from parents or teachers to stay caught up in school, the growing stresses of fitting in can make a girl overwhelmed.

“I think mean girls feel the need to be mean because they feel bad about themselves,” said senior Baylee May.
Girls are under enough stress as it is these days, and yet they still find ways to target each other or be mean. So, that leads to a question that remains unanswered: Why do teenage girls continue to be mean to each other when they know how bad it feels to be in the same situation? “I think that mean girls are getting meaner because with all the social media that’s going on these days, it’s a lot easier for rumors to spread,” said Melody Munitz of NBC news.
It is true that the social media sites have only made it easier for girls to get targeted. Once something is posted, it will float around the internet forever. Rumors fly, harsh words are exchanged, and when they are posted, there’s no going back. The social media sites these days are filled with hateful comments, and a battle that is fought on social media sites can go wrong very quickly.
“I see a rise in bullying because of cyber bullying,” said Psychiatrist Sue Varma in an article on today.com, “Social media has its effect and impact creating a permanent, public, and lasting humiliation. So a lot of what parents need to do is to be able to A: monitor what’s involved, and B: bolster self-esteem and confidence.” Parents can play a role in the prevention of cyber bullying by monitoring their girl’s social media accounts. Although many girls find the idea unappealing and embarrassing, it could help in the long run. If a girl starts to be bullied on social media sites, she should always report it and stop it before it gets too far.
The understanding of teenage girls’ minds, actions, and decisions are too complex to fully understand or explain, but one thing is for sure: Next time she thinks about saying something mean or even tweeting it, she’ll remember how she would feel if someone said the same thing about her. Remember the girls who are under pressure and trying to fit in; remember the girls who struggle everyday; thinking about that first could help prevent some of the hurtful things that get said.