Over spring break, I was sitting on a couch in a Destin condo when I noticed a tabloid on the coffee table that showed the three Kardashian sisters with the title, “Struggling with their Bodies!” It was one of the really superficial tabloids, the ones that only cost a dollar and a few brain cells, the ones that know enough about celebrities’ sex lives to make Big Brother jealous.
Upon picking it up, it was with disgust that I read about how the sisters think they are too fat and their bodies aren’t quite curvy enough.
I hate these magazines with a passion. The article mentioned on the cover shows Kim Kardashian’s series of butt implants over the years. She went from being attractive in 2006 to legally qualifying as a flotation device in 2012.
Is this what Americans value?  I originally responded, “Who cares?” But I then realized that plenty of people do, and there is nothing wrong with being interested with where your favorite celebrity is or how many pickles they eat on a Big Mac. That’s absolutely fine, albeit rather creepy.
This “interest,” however, has destroyed the self-image of many teens across the country, holding their not-perfectly-toned bodies in contempt. There is a point of genuine interest, and then there is the point that ruins America.
Today, an estimated 8 million Americans suffer from an eating disorder. That’s a very large topic change I just made (notice the juxtaposition.) However, I’m not insinuating that rising rates of eating problems are the result of superficial tabloids and skinny celebrities (correlation does not imply causation), but the correlation nonetheless exists. Statistics show anorexia has only become increasingly common over the years and – what do you know? – America seems to also have become more concerned with aesthetical beauty. The media is to blame; viewers love to see beautiful people go about their perfect days without a worry in the world.
So when Kim Kardashian claims, “I am not skinny enough,” people listen, especially young women. How does Kim’s statement feel to a 14-year-old girl who has been teased at school for not looking perfect in a bathing suit? It naturally demolishes her self-esteem. That girl then lives her life wondering what others think of her, perhaps never opening up and creating deep emotional bonds with others.
This problem is, of course, not isolated to the female gender; I simply use this example to illustrate a point.
Aestheticism is not inherently a bad thing – it drives humans to create beautiful artwork. But there is a point where one can be so concerned with aesthetics that he or she truly loses the value of what he or she is judging.
Most people suffering from a poor body image would tell you that they couldn’t care less how celebrities look – that their self-image is completely personal and self-created.  But where do they get the ideas of what is beautiful and what is not? Does society not implant these ideals by portraying what the collective whole considers beautiful through the media?
Many of my best friends struggle with eating disorders and low self-esteem. And there are many other men and women around this campus who struggle as well. You know who you are. If you are reading this, know that you are beautiful. Don’t let Kim Kardashian’s floatation device tell you otherwise. My aforementioned friends have impacted my life in so many positive ways, just as the others who feel worthless impact the lives of so many people around them.
The media that distorts the self-image of its viewers is a media not worth watching. Likewise, a person who does the same is a person not worth engaging. So put down the belittling magazine and smile; you deserve it.
Tim McGrath is a freshman majoring in  aerospace engineering. He can be contacted at [email protected].