Reflection

What a relief! This amazing blog is finally done! :) This whole process has been a good because I: 1. Had fun researching a topic I'm interested in, and 2. Got the responses of people in my grade that may feel the same way I do. In my finishing product, I've come to like what I created and proud of the effort I put into this project. The hardest part was forming up a reasonable research question where I can get good answers and form good responses. I don't think I would change anything too dramatic. In doing this project again, I would simply choose a different topic rather than "self-consciousness" and target a different audience.

Being that it was me doing this project, it kind of affected me and my perspectives of my generation. It gave me a sense of security and a sense of relief because, from the information from the survey data, majority/most of students at school, boys and girls, have this issue. So, in conclusion, we are all ONE IN THE SAME!

Recommendation

Further Research

My current research question is "How often do you question yourself or how you look?" If a new question were to be created to help back-up this research question, I would hope for it to be around the lines of "Do you feel that teenage girls are more self-conscious than boys?" or "Why do teenagers feel self-conscious all the time?" We should expand on our responses by expanding the type of people we ask to answer the polls. Instead of just asking high school students, we should question college students or people who were already in high school and see the difference.

Social Change

Based on the information I just received, I have learned that every teen has a moment where they have questioned their appearance. Socially, that changed me because now I can feel a little better about myself, knowing that everybody has those moments.

Conclusion

From the chart below, studies show that teenage boys and girls often question themselves or how they look. Based on this information, it also shows that both boys and girls feel the same. It's not just one particular gender but both united as one. Everyone has days where they look at themselves in the mirror and not like what they see. It's perfectly normal. The book source that I have mainly targets to the females. Among other things, another study shows that more females feel self-conscious about their image rather than boys(girls-63%, boys-30%), but it does not mean that boys never question their appearance.

Survey Data

In a survey of 99 respondents, being that 33 people where boys and the other 63 were girls, 33 people(33%) said that they often question themselves in their appearance to the question "How often do you question yourself or how you look?"
The minority answer was "never" with a total of 7 people(7%). There was a close second of 26% (26 people) who say that they question themselves "on some occasions". Also, the races were 35% black, 49% white, 2% Asian, 1% Latino, and 5% other.

Published Source

Everyone has a point in their teenage life where they question themselves or have a low self-esteem. It's not something you can just take. It's an emotional/mental feeling when you know that you are okay being you and know what you're worth. Today, studies show that self-consciousness is found mainly in the circumstances of:
1)Family
2)Friends
3)Peers/School

To know if you have a high self-esteem, you must have these "senses":
1) A sense of security.
-feeling safe at home, school, and your neighborhood
2) A sense of belonging.
-feeling connected and accepted by others (family, classmates, etc.)
3) A sense of competence.
-doing things that make you feel confident, in control (drawing, singing, etc.)
4) A sense of who you are.
-not easily swayed by others, no peer pressure, accepts responsibility of what you do, and know what you're limits are
5) A sense of purpose.
-have your own goals and power to see them through (what makes you happy and fills you with passion; fulfillment)

Production, A Girlsource. "How can i feel better about myself?." Girlsource: A Book by and for Young Women About Relationships, Rights, Futures, Bodies, Minds, and Souls. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press, 2003. 12-13. Print.

Research Question

What can teenagers(boys and girls) do to prevent or lower their self-consciousness?

Why Are Teens So Self-conscious?

I choose this topic because it is an issue I can relate with the most. I am a teenager myself struggling through personal issues. Sometimes, those issues deal with emotional/mental health. Being in high school, I already know that teens get bullied around, and feel bad about themselves because they're not as "cool" as everyone else. This can lead to social problems or something far more drastic. Throughout this investigation, I plan to answer my question and understand why people feel the way they do. Also, to come up with a solution to try and minimize self-consciousness. No need to fear though, we, the teens, are all one in the same! =)