Growing up, we all struggle with our unique set of self-esteem issues — especially as teenagers. And if you’re growing up in the spotlight? Well, the constant media attention brings on additional pressure to look a certain way. Oh, and throw in being the daughter of a famous supermodel to boot? While Cindy Crawford‘s daughter Kaia Gerber has already appeared on magazine covers and catwalks for brands including Chanel, Givenchy, Saint Laurent, and countless others, she’s still a regular 18-year-old trying to figure out who she is as a young adult. We were reminded of that thanks to a recent video the teen appeared in for Vogue: joining eight other models, Gerber discussed how the industry has affected her mental health and how she’s navigating this journey — and her insights are important for any teen to hear.
“What you see in the media most times is the highlight reel. It’s okay not to be okay sometimes. It’s okay to be sad. It’s okay to have bad days. Those aren’t the days that we’re putting on Instagram,” she told Vogue.
We love Gerber’s transparency — and her emphasis on how normal it is not to be happy all of the time. (Also: Instagram is curated and not exactly real life.) We already know that confidence levels dip dramatically for girls in adolescence, and with so many young women looking up to the budding supermodel, her vulnerability not only makes her more relatable but shows how she’s proving to be a role model for Generation Z.
Even with her genetically gifted looks and succeeding in her career at a young age, Gerber shows that she has her insecurities like any other teen. But with supportive parents on her side, it seems Gerber is poised to succeed on her own terms — and empowering other young women to do the same.
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