Is society really all that bad?‏‏

From: Regina
I chose this photo as I believe that beauty comes from within the person themselves. The gleaming look of joy and the sheer expression of confidence after having her ears pierced, is it really a bad thing? One may argue that it was the result of peer pressure, or the influence from the media to help define her as being more feminine. Society may pose implications that lead us to believe that we need to be thin, beautiful and perfect but the most influential people in children's lives are their parents. People place too much blame on society and do not impose enough on themselves for their own actions. Parents play a huge role in teaching their children right from wrong, and making sure that they are learning to deal with the consequences of their decisions. This can help them become strong and confident while ensuring that the child knows mom and dad will be there for them, no matter what. For example, a six year whose parents use the privilege of getting her ears pierced as a tool to encourage her to make independent decision while being accountable for those decisions is leveraging social pressures to help their child, not letting those pressures control her. Societal pressures, like most things in life are rarely all good or bad; they can be used to ones advantage, or can be a scapegoat for ones shortfalls. The individual can decide which course they will pursue. I took this photo with my daughter looking up to herself in the mirror, showing not her face, but her reflection. The reason for this perspective is so we see her as she sees herself, strong, confident, independent and happy for having been rewarded for making good decisions.