A Facade To Fill The Hole Your Confidence Left

Low self esteem is a large issue in today's world; especially concerning teenagers. Face it, the troubles of high school and hormones have only escalated in the past few decades and the parents of these troubled teens have no idea what to do. For some teenagers, this issue is resolved by simple things such as laughter or working out to forgot their troubles. Other teens spend their down time playing video games, playing sports, playing an instrument, writing, reading, acting, anything to make them feel comfortable with themselves again. My main focus for this entry, though, are the people who take their self esteem to higher levels by imagining that they are somebody else.

You've seen it (I'm sure) in schools, on the streets, in stores, maybe television has made you aware of it, or perhaps the internet. It is more of a fad than it ever has been - for someone to enjoy a show or game so much, they take on the role of their favorite character. Terms concerning these people are as follows:
Nicknames: harmless titles given to a person, highlighting certain traits or connecting them to another object.
Characters: nicknames applied from relation to actual or fictional characters.
Roleplayers: people who take on the role of a character for the purpose of pretending to be said character.
LARPers: (Live-action role playing) people who wear costumes and don weapons to physically act out as their characters in a live-action game.
Cosplayers: people who dress as a character of someone else's creation to feel closer to that character.

People identifying with these terms can be found everywhere. Because of low self-esteem, many teens have been sinking into the depths of depression. But I can speak from experience that people begin to feel more confident when they know they can control their own story. My group of friends is made up by video game, anime, and book nerds and more than half of them have, at one point or another, pretended to be something other than their original self. I see absolutely no harm in their actions.

In truth, I myself feel the need to live somebody else's life from time to time. When your imagination is the only thing determining your story, why not make yourself the hero? Better yet, when you control your fate, you can be the damsel in distress because you know that your mind's creation of a knight in shining armor will always be there to save you.

So next time you are feeling down and your self-esteem is running on empty, try to picture your life constantly going in the direction you want it to, no matter how illogical. Think of a story. Write about it. Draw it. Act it out. Act it out with your friends. Picture the you that you want to be and embrace it. The only thing that can ever hold you back while also having the power to make you soar is your imagination. Wield it wisely.

Happy Turkey Day! :3 And stay in the clouds, Cadets...