Katie Robertson, Don't Silence Her (July theme: Eyes)

As her mum, I snap a candid shot, but she has to hide her face. Her mindset has her over-analysis and undermines her self-confidence. Social media has taught her to hide away her flaws or she won't conform to the materialistic ideas that are influenced upon her. This is the harsh reality faced by many rural teenage girls who constantly compare themselves to the 'city' girl. Afraid to be themselves and advocate for who they are, they will simply hide away. The distance and the location of rural communities are challenging enough. The lack of mental health and youth services is minimal. Let's not silence them either. Let us teach. Let us support, and let us encourage self-worth to break the silence and ride the stigma around what conformity our teen girls believe they should live by.

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