The media influences teens’ daily lives as teens depend on the internet to answer daily questions, such as what they should eat and how they should dress. These social trends play a vital role in most teens’ lives as it provides a gateway to acceptance among peers and through the media.

Teens battle their personal insecurities now more than ever—thanks to media influences. The media sources information about what girls should wear based on varying body shapes to align with the ideal figure. Currently, young girls look at an hourglass figure as the “ideal” body shape, with a tiny waist to draw the eye to the more attention-grabbing aspects.

However, the media introduces a focus on body positivity, such as Aerie by American Eagle. Though embracing self-love seems to flow in the media lately, insecurities do not disappear because of a few posts on teenagers’ feeds. New fashion lines reach these young girls emphasising certain aspects of their physical appearance.

“I feel like my height, how thin I am, and [having] long legs affect my clothing choices. Whenever I try to look into wearing dresses or skirts, they just emphasize how long my legs are, and I love the idea of mom jeans, but I’m too skinny to make them fit or work properly. I’d love to wear different skirts, dresses, and baggier jeans instead of the same type of jeans everyday,” sophomore Abbey Corley said.

Though girls hold a reputation of being mindful of their looks, young male teens also take their own place with having insecurities regarding their style. Younger boys try to take influence from role models, much like girls, to determine what to wear, and look to the media to find their place when it comes to their style. Young teen boys may acquire confidence issues regarding their taste in clothing or their physique to fit into male body standards. A male’s level of masculinity should not bar creativity when it comes to choices.

“I really like to wear any type of clothing, every person should have the right to feel comfortable in anything they wear. I feel like the fact that we’ve stereotyped clothing to mean certain things is a shame because clothing doesn’t put off any negative vibes, and how you look in them shouldn’t demean you because every person should just feel comfortable in anything they could wear,” junior Chandler Quaile said.

Now, as we continue into the 21st century, more males in social media gain the opportunity to express themselves and their sexuality with less criticism. With this freedom, this may encourage more young males to express their unique styles. But sharing a more spontaneous style in the hallways of NC cannot always be easy when up against more basic or “masculine” styles.

“Adam Rippon wore mesh to the Oscars and it was a big deal because that’s the first time a guy has stepped out of the conventional tuxedo at the Oscars. That’s certainly inspiring to a lot of guys to be like, ‘Hey! You don’t have to wear a jacket and some pants and a tie to look your best.’ You can step out of the box and be creative the same way,” Quaile said.

Though as open-minded as people can presume, adapting to these new trends doesn’t always convince more traditional-minded people. Seeing a male in a skirt or short shorts does not pass as typical male attire to classic-minded people.

“In some ways, I think we all have tendencies to judge people quickly on what they choose to wear, and I know that sounds horrible, but I totally get it if a girl wants to dress more masculine or if a boy wants to dress more feminine. If that’s what makes them confident, then they should absolutely do that. Unfortunately, they could get some negative feedback but if they are happy then it shouldn’t matter,” sophomore Daniella King said.

The media definitely continues to take a more positive approach when encountering and putting down stereotypes of what males and females should rule as “allowed” to wear to fit into the ideal image. Teens should express trends they like and feel the most confident in without judgment or discouragement from their peers.

After all, confidence looks fantastic on anyone.