Is what is different beautiful? Does uniqueness have value? Smart Aging Clinic is launching a new edition of the social campaign "Beauty is not copy-paste." The goal of this initiative is to draw attention to the issue of negative self-perception among young people and to encourage them to develop self-awareness and take care of their mental and physical health.
A significant problem among young people is the lack of acceptance, the feeling of shame for not being enough, and thus the willingness to overstep their own boundaries to earn someone's acceptance or belong to a group.
According to the Unaweza Foundation report "Young Minds: Opening Up About Mental Health," published in 2023, 31.6%, or 1 in 3 young people, do not like themselves. One-third of students judge themselves based on their physical appearance, 29.3% regularly act against their own will to be accepted by others, and in 42.6% of cases, peer bullying is related to physical appearance.
"The pressure created by social media has a huge impact on the level of self-acceptance and identity among youth, young adults, and even mature individuals. We want this problem to be thoroughly addressed," says Klaudia Witczak, founder of Smart Aging Clinic.
Another issue is the lack of adequate education and support in this area, as well as the lack of dialogue between psychologists, psychotherapists, educators, caregivers, and doctors of various specialties. As a result, very young people increasingly resort to "quick" ways to improve their mood, such as "enhancing" their appearance.
"The results of the report are only part of a much broader picture showing the current state of mental health among young people, highlighting their problems with identity, self-acceptance, and building self-confidence. Through the 'Beauty is not copy-paste' campaign, we want to not only speak out loudly about this but also take action to ensure that these sad statistics become a thing of the past, not the future, for young people," adds Klaudia Witczak.
The protagonists of the film promoting the new edition of the social campaign "Beauty is not copy-paste" are three unique young individuals: Aleksandra Poślada, Karolina Maria Półtoraczyk, and Łukasz Bogusławski. They were given complete freedom to express their opinions on this important issue for all of us. This production is a platform where they have a VOICE, showcasing through their own examples how important self-acceptance and embracing one's uniqueness are. "The real Me is authenticity," says one of the protagonists.
We invite you to watch the film "Unique" - a story created by young people for young people, which serves as a strong appeal for necessary social change. The partner of the social campaign is KINOTEKA.