When I was growing up I don't think there were as many influences from the media as there are today, but there still were some. My favorite toys were Barbies and other kinds of dolls. All Barbies were typical tall, blonde, and beautiful which in some ways made me think that that was what beauty was meant to be. Also now that I look back at it, all the clothes that Barbie wears are short short and tiny tops. My parents both worked so I spent every weekday at my grandparents' house with my two cousins. My grandmom limited what we watched when it contained kids who would be considered "bratty" or rude. She turned off Rugrats because of Angelica and Arthur because of DW. She always said the reason was that she didn't want us to watch it is because she didn't want us to be exposed to people who were "talking back." I don't think my self-esteem has been affected too much by images but I do think my perception of the "norm" or average person in the world has been changed. From a young age, I've been shown that tall and airbrushed people are what the standard for beauty is. Now that I have grown up I know that it isn't the the true standard of beauty and I think going to an all-girls school has helped to make that realization. Mount has taught us to be independent women who don't have to let society hold us back. They have showed us that we are strong enough to handle the world and that we have a right to be successful.