What are some topics I can write about for my essay about why media is harmful for teens?

Affects self esteem a lot..

Media is one of the leading causes to misconception about society and standards needed to be successful. It not only distracts from the reality and vastness there is in the world around us, but often changes what we think all together through subliminal messaging, exaggerated imagery, and unrealistic accounts on life. It makes people want to change themselves, thinking that if they do, they’ll obtain fame, fortune, popularity, and high social status. Body image is something that is often ridiculed through media, making people think that it’s healthy and “cool” to be a size 0-2, when in reality, healthy body types come in all ranges, and there’s no need to excessively diet. Makeup is also a highly promoted thing to help people look different. People everywhere are filled with beliefs that without makeup, they’re ugly, or undesirable, and because of those same messages, in a lot of ways, they ARE undesirable because the opposing sides of society who are looking at these people (for example, the men who are looking to date them) don’t see beauty because their minds have been clouded with the images of what media is telling them to look at and like. There are a number of reasons media is harmful, not just for teens, but for people of all ages.

Well, think about the various disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, depression, self-harm, the extreme obesity epidemic. Media really affects everything in society for both negative and positive reasons.