Ever wonder how teens see themselves? If you have acne or are a parent of a teen with acne you've probably wondered how an average teen feels about him/herself. We all want a good self-image but acne can make achieving that doubly hard. How does a teen with acne fare relative to a teen with clear skin when it comes to self-image?
Teens in general worry about their looks, compare their physical appearance to friends and feel that physical appearance is important in gaining respect from others. So says a study conducted by OTX- a global consumer research and consulting firm that conducts its research on the Internet. This would be true for a teen who suffers with acne or one that has been lucky enough to escape it.
The "Teen Topix" study was conducted by OTX and the Intelligence Group and surveyed 750 teens aged between 13 and 17 across the country. The questions were centered on the topic of self-image. Questions included how they felt about their physical appearance, how happy they were in certain areas of their lives, what positive influences they had in their lives and what they spent money on to feel better.
By far the most interesting finding of the study was that the majority of teens rated themselves as "somewhat happy" (81%) while more than a third (36%) rated themselves as "very happy". This is indeed a positive finding! Teens are happiest about their friends, talents, special skills, and school performance. Interestingly teens felt happier with how they looked online (e.g. on their My Space profile) (78%) than how they thought they look in real life (68%) suggesting that they felt their online persona to be rather divided from their real life one.
When it came to how the average teen felt about their looks 61% said they felt worried about how they looked and as many as 48% said they compare themselves to their friends. As many as half of the teens surveyed felt that physical appearance influenced the respect they got from others but fewer teens felt that their looks influenced whether other people liked them (33%). Even fewer felt that that looks mattered when it came to a successful career and making money.
But what does the average teen find inspiring or positive? Teens rated girlfriends/boyfriends, religion, parents, teachers, and television shows as positive influences. The majority of teens listed their significant others or their religion as being of great positive support in their lives.
If 61% of teens are concerned with their physical appearance; how do boys and girls with acne breakouts fare in the self-esteem stakes? A study conducted by Harris Interactive for the American Counseling Association (ACA) a few years ago revealed that teenage acne significantly impacted on the self esteem of young adults. Teen acne caused extreme anxiety in most boys and girls and caused their self-image and confidence to be lower than their peers.
"Acne is often a source of anxiety that can impact a teen's self-image and confidence at a critical time in their development," said Dr. Mark Pope, President of the American Counseling Association. "It can affect various aspects of their life such as relationships, schoolwork, and even employment. As counselors, we encourage parents to talk openly with their children about all aspects of growing up".
So there you have it! Acne breakouts in teens can make it harder to survive the social jungle and teens with acne find it harder to cultivate a positive self-image than the average teen. The best way to deal with your self-image is to find sensible teenage acne solutions that work to clear your acne and keep it at bay. Healthy skin can help improve your self-image and means you can continue to grow into adulthood without physical and emotional scars.
Teens in general worry about their looks, compare their physical appearance to friends and feel that physical appearance is important in gaining respect from others. So says a study conducted by OTX- a global consumer research and consulting firm that conducts its research on the Internet. This would be true for a teen who suffers with acne or one that has been lucky enough to escape it.
The "Teen Topix" study was conducted by OTX and the Intelligence Group and surveyed 750 teens aged between 13 and 17 across the country. The questions were centered on the topic of self-image. Questions included how they felt about their physical appearance, how happy they were in certain areas of their lives, what positive influences they had in their lives and what they spent money on to feel better.
By far the most interesting finding of the study was that the majority of teens rated themselves as "somewhat happy" (81%) while more than a third (36%) rated themselves as "very happy". This is indeed a positive finding! Teens are happiest about their friends, talents, special skills, and school performance. Interestingly teens felt happier with how they looked online (e.g. on their My Space profile) (78%) than how they thought they look in real life (68%) suggesting that they felt their online persona to be rather divided from their real life one.
When it came to how the average teen felt about their looks 61% said they felt worried about how they looked and as many as 48% said they compare themselves to their friends. As many as half of the teens surveyed felt that physical appearance influenced the respect they got from others but fewer teens felt that their looks influenced whether other people liked them (33%). Even fewer felt that that looks mattered when it came to a successful career and making money.
But what does the average teen find inspiring or positive? Teens rated girlfriends/boyfriends, religion, parents, teachers, and television shows as positive influences. The majority of teens listed their significant others or their religion as being of great positive support in their lives.
If 61% of teens are concerned with their physical appearance; how do boys and girls with acne breakouts fare in the self-esteem stakes? A study conducted by Harris Interactive for the American Counseling Association (ACA) a few years ago revealed that teenage acne significantly impacted on the self esteem of young adults. Teen acne caused extreme anxiety in most boys and girls and caused their self-image and confidence to be lower than their peers.
"Acne is often a source of anxiety that can impact a teen's self-image and confidence at a critical time in their development," said Dr. Mark Pope, President of the American Counseling Association. "It can affect various aspects of their life such as relationships, schoolwork, and even employment. As counselors, we encourage parents to talk openly with their children about all aspects of growing up".
So there you have it! Acne breakouts in teens can make it harder to survive the social jungle and teens with acne find it harder to cultivate a positive self-image than the average teen. The best way to deal with your self-image is to find sensible teenage acne solutions that work to clear your acne and keep it at bay. Healthy skin can help improve your self-image and means you can continue to grow into adulthood without physical and emotional scars.
