Many teenagers all over the world struggle with self-esteem issues and lack of self-confidence.

Students think there are various reasons for people to be self-conscious, including weight, appearance, social class and ranking, and intelligence.

“A lot of girls care so much about their looks, like how pretty and skinny they are,” sophomore Tiana Lawson said. “Some people are insecure about how much money they have too.”

Lawson thinks society puts unnecessary pressure on people to be someone they aren’t.

“There are all these high standards for everything and we feel like we need to meet them,” Lawson said.

As well as societal standards, insecurities can stem from known peers.

“People are always putting other people down to try to make themselves feel better,” senior Abby Shubert said. “If people make fun of you, you should just ignore it and move on.”

Students think insecurities should be addressed and eradicated to avoid future mental health problems.

“If you have low self-esteem, it can lead to bad decisions like suicide or anorexia,” Lawson said.

While some students think lack of self-confidence should be a concern, some think it’s less of a priority.

“It’s more of a personal thing and the only way people are going to be able to get over it is to face it on their own,” Shubert said.

People tend to focus on females being insecure, but insecurity can occur in males as well. Boys can be pressured to be athletic and have a certain body type.

“There are a lot of reasons for girls to be self-conscious, but guys can feel pressured to be a certain way too,” sophomore Ashlen Lemon said.

Overcoming insecurities can be difficult, but there are plenty of ways of making it happen.

“You just need to stay positive and pick out things you like about yourself as often as you can,” Lawson said.

Shubert said to let your true beauty show.

“It doesn’t really matter what anyone else thinks,” Shubert said. “Just be yourself.”