Growing up minutes from some of the nicest beaches in the country certainly had a million advantages. From surfing and tanning to amazing seafood and immaculate vibes, living minutes from the ocean is in many ways the dream. Something that I don’t always feel like is talked about enough, however, is how growing up in beach culture can have extremely detrimental effects on body image and self-confidence.
Adolescence is already hard enough in this day and age, something I know I don’t have to explain to you. The constant barrage of perfectly edited bodies on Instagram, TikTok’s “what I eat in a day,” and YouTube’s infamous Chloe Ting workouts that gave half of my generation severe body image issues is already enough to drive a girl crazy. But when you are often in a bikini in front of all of your friends, all of that insecurity that normally isn’t exposed feels like it is out there for the world to see. Every hangout turns into a dreaded parade of everything you don’t like about your body or your skin, and your feelings about your friends turn ugly and green as you spend your time comparing what you look like to them.
It is really, REALLY, not “just” you.
For a long time, I thought that these issues were entirely contained to my brain; that I had serious body dysmorphia issues and that it was a “me-issue.” And while I clearly didn’t have a good relationship with the way that I looked growing up, it was only after coming to UCSB that I realized that it wasn’t just me.
As I grew up and learned to step away from my previously negative perspective of myself, I started talking to my friends in Santa Barbara about what it was like growing up in a place like San Diego, where all of your insecurities are always on display.
To my absolute shock, many of my friends who had grown up coastal in Oceanside or the Laguna Beach area had eerily similar experiences. Those of my friends who didn’t experience it as kids in their towns noticed it in Santa Barbara, and during many late-night deep dives into childhood, we started to theorize about the ‘why.’
I think that coastal California towns are the perfect combination of beautiful weather, stunning beaches, and gorgeous people. The sheer density of folks who look like they walked off the pages of magazines makes it nearly impossible for one’s own awkwardness or preteen angst to go unnoticed. Couple that with amazing weather that makes you feel guilty for staying inside, and the beautiful Pacific a few minutes away, not spending time on the beach just isn’t an option. However, if you don’t feel bikini-ready yourself, how you look can become an obsession.
These days, much of our generation’s struggle with self-confidence is attributed to our addiction to social media and our inability to escape the faked perfection of life online. Growing up not only in a time where constant comparison to the overexaggerated is already difficult enough, but not being able to escape comparison in real life makes it even more of a struggle.
The most frustrating part is that it’s not like it is someone’s fault that this issue exists. It just is. That is what is so annoying. It isn’t like you can blame it on anyone necessarily. You just kind of have to get over it on your own.
While I used to plan to move to the Yukon and spend my days far from any warmth, the most helpful thing for me was making sure that I surrounded myself with positive people. As I am sure it was for many, my high school experience was littered with body shaming and general mean-girl behavior. Obviously, we can all hope that once a person reaches university, that kind of behavior would not be tolerated by their peers. We all know someone who said something, though. So be around people who make you think about everything but who looks better in a swimsuit.
Mostly, if any part of this article made you nod your head in agreement, just know that I see you! We are all so in this together, and your feelings are absolutely valid. That being said, I can’t wait to spend the last few warm months of 2025 on the beach, and I really hope to see you there too!