Index IntroductionThe Harmful Impact of ConformityDiversity: Powerful Tool for UnityWhat Makes Me Me: Cultural AcceptanceEmbracing What Makes You YouConclusionIntroductionToday I would like to take the time to share and express this to all of you an issue that I believe is causing serious harm to a generation of young people. Social pressures are immense now more than ever. We see this today, especially in this age of globalization and social media. We spend hours scrolling on our phones comparing ourselves to the latest trending influencers. Whether it's apps like Instagram, Snapchat, Tumblr, Twitter or even Tiktok, I bet we all agree that at one time or another we have compared our lives to those of others, but we often forget the importance of what you makes you.Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayThe Harmful Impact of Conformity Wasting time on Instagram is not, in general, an unpleasant pastime, but dwelling on your differences is harmful. Wishing you were someone you're not is harmful. What I have always struggled with is the fact that we teenagers can never be happy with ourselves unless we fit in like others, or if we are portrayed as different. We are mortified by the idea of ​​appearing somehow different, and we are afraid to let what makes us unique shine, and so we repress it. We feel pressure to suppress the very things that make us so special. We deny ourselves things, not to please ourselves, but to please those around us. I know that I have personally struggled with the feeling of wanting to fit into the molds that I feel are imposed on me. I have fallen victim to current cultural and beauty standards. These heavy chains are the devices with which our society aims to constrain and limit us. The infiltration of such standards has brought us serious consequences. We as a society have been forced to believe that our time is better spent worrying about our presence in relation to others rather than embracing these differences and working to improve the world. Diversity: Powerful Tool for Unity We must come to understand that diversity is a powerful tool we have and not something that should diminish. Diversity comes in a variety of forms, be it culture, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, etc. All of this contributes to our unique experiences of the world. What makes me me: Cultural Acceptance Being Latina growing up, I personally felt a lot of stigma and lack of acceptance for my differences. For example, something as simple as referring to my grandmother as “abuela” as a native Spanish speaker and the resulting reaction would lead to me being subjected to insults. (explain it better) I felt like I didn't belong. I know many people in my life who also share the experience of feeling negatively about themselves for something they should embrace instead of hide. My friends felt insecure speaking to their parents on the phone in their own language in the presence of other people simply because they were ashamed of the judgment of those around them. Being a young person and feeling like the characteristics that make them who they are are inherently wrong or despised is harmful to a person. It is heartbreaking that we have imposed a set of unreasonable and unattainable expectations based on the assumption of Western European standards. Teens may not always feel completely accomplished at school. They may face stereotypes, they may not see people like them..