There was once a time when the percentage of teenagers with problems such as eating disorders and low self-esteem was much lower than it is today in our modern life. Two major forces that have helped push an “epidemic” of eating disorders and low self-esteem around the world are social media and the “perfect image” of how people think they should look that is constantly broadcast on social media. Social media, led by some peer groups, designs an image of what they think a normal person should look like, called the “Perfect Image” and constantly shares it with each other and ridicules those who don't fit into their standards. As a result, many teenagers face problems such as eating disorders and low self-esteem. The main cause of this is the way teenagers portray themselves on social media – uploading and sharing filtered images that only show a person looking at their best or when they are most positive. Because of the high standards that many teens place on themselves through the photos they see their peers post, a sense of low self-esteem develops. Finally, due to the many Photoshopped images circulating online, many people believe they have to look like that photo and may starve themselves to do so, thus causing an effect on eating disorders. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay People believe that the standards that teenagers believe they need to follow to be “cool” or to fit in are set by celebrities or role models, which however is not the case. These standards are much closer than one might believe, they are set by a person's classmates and friends. In the modern world, when teenagers post on their social media like Instagram or Facebook, they filter their photos and only upload what they believe is their best. This creates an atmosphere where people believe that their friends or colleagues are having the best time of their lives at all times, all because of the type of images they upload. However, in most cases this is not the case, and these images are only uploaded for these 3 main reasons: so that the poster does not feel excluded, to help them believe that they are fitting in with their peers, or are following a trend. Researchers believe that the reason why teenagers behave this way on social media is for two reasons: first, because they hide their insecurities or imperfections and second, because they fall into the trends set by their peers. On social media, many teenagers who constantly hide behind their phone screens, heavily edit and select an image so that they can look the best they can to seek praise and attention from others to boost their self-esteem. Finally, teenagers believe that it is the end of the world or that they will be treated like outcasts if they do not follow the same trends as their peers, but this is usually not the case. Most people believe that social media has a negative connotation towards teenagers' self-esteem or depression. However, social media can work both ways on teens' self-esteem, both positively and negatively. Social media can positively influence a person's mood or self-esteem because adolescents are taught through their peers to appreciate the photos they take of themselves, not because they look good or bad, but because they provide others with a window into their personal life and allow a connection to be made within.