Exploring Self Perception via Broken Mirrors by Katie Thompson
A friend tweeted in July 2013 about females who work in Zenith bank, asking if it was true that light skinned women have it better than dark skinned women. Saying if you're light skinned you get to work in CSU and if you're dark skinned you get directed to the cashier/teller section. This got me laughing because of the nature of his tweet, on the other hand it made me very upset. I mean is that all that matters? At the same time, it also got me thinking a lot about how this issue will and has already affected self perception in a lot of women.
History shows that most cultures, if not all, from the beginning of time have been bothered about their appearance and physical attractiveness. However, in modern times, it is obvious that these normal concerns have now become an obsession for a lot of people. It is very safe to say that the media and technology are to blame. TV, adverts, billboards and magazines all portray thin and attractive people as having more fun, being more successful and happier. Pictures of models are air brushed and photo-shopped therefore making them appear as being perfect! An accomplishment most of us could never achieve, no matter how hard we try. The effort and energy put in by people to look better is not only exhausting but also severely decreases their happiness and life satisfaction.
In Nigeria, the issue of light-skinned females been used more by the media than the dark-skinned females is a major issue and this makes some dark-skinned females less proud of their skin tone. I know of a few ladies who used to be darker than myself (and my skin tone isnt that dark, I'm not light skinned either, just very well placed in between, lol) but now they are really light, some people refer to them as being 'Yellow'. They are well known, working in fields associated with the entertainment/media industry. I try to wonder what it was that made them feel they weren't pretty enough with their natural skin tone, sometimes I make excuses for them and say 'Maybe they had skin issues, and the doctor advised on bleaching', Lol.
I know sometimes it isn't easy when you look at yourself in the mirror and you just all of a sudden don't like what you see. In April of the same year, I had a serious acne break out on my face which I battled till about July, 2013. A friend saw me at the Chinua Achebe event and had to ask 'Lola where did this break out come from' and I replied 'I feel like I just hit puberty all over again'. It wass sometimes hard for me to step out of my house because I didn't feel pretty enough and I complained, infact I complained everyday, my cousins were tired, lol. But after much groaning and mood swings, I pulled myself together, looked in the mirror and said 'Lola you are beautiful, fuck the acne', and I was good to go.
Self-esteem and confidence is needed to be happy in life. Know and always remember that you are unique so you should be proud of who you are. Be happy about the body you have and your life. Self-confidence is what gives other people trust in you because they can see that you know what you are doing. Stay positive, stay happy.
I would love to focus on more issues like weight, style, relationships and how they affect your self perception but i will touch them one by one, this is the first.
Love Lowla
xXx