A significant question I’ve been asking myself lately is if we are letting numbers define who we are, from skill to popularity. I hear people mentioning numbers every day (that’s what happens when you have ears) and it’s starting to irk me. Cool, I’m so glad that you got 264 likes on your latest post. Congratulations, you made a new high score of 103 on Crossy Road. But what I hear the most, especially for kids my age, is numbers about  grades. I will be at my locker and just standing there while I let a few murmurs of grades slip into my ears, which of course only makes me stressed about my own grades. Nevertheless, numbers are everywhere, whether we like it or not. Our wealth is determined by numbers, our intelligence is represented by numbers and even our popularity is confirmed by numbers. I don’t want to live in a world where we let symbols define us.

Humans are like onions, layers are what we are made of, and not just physically. We have several different characteristics, strengths and weaknesses, fears and insecurities, hobbies and interests, backgrounds, cultures… Obviously we are much more than just a few strokes of a pencil on paper. As a student, the biggest source of my stress comes from the pressure to do well in school. Grades are highly valued by parents; and therefore, by students as well. Even though tests don’t provide an accurate display of how smart students are, we still use those grades as a representation of our level of intelligence. While doing well in school is important and should be valued, students should be viewed as more than numbers; after all, l we are human. Of course everybody feels accomplished and satisfied to see a 100% at the top of a test but what happens when we don’t achieve that? People who score poorly end up feeling like a failure and they continue to spiral downwards. A simple number can have such a strong impact on people. Furthermore, when students don’t receive good grades, they are viewed by their peers as dumb. It is basically like walking around school with a number on our foreheads showing  a rating of how smart each of us is . Nowadays, the only thing students care about are  their SAT scores in hopes of getting accepted into a good college. How did we let this happen to our kids? They have thoughts, emotions and are not like a product in need of a price tag.

Another scenario where numbers greatly influence us is on social media. On Instagram, Twitter and Facebook galore, the number of likes one gets is related to how popular or accepted they are in society. The more likes or followers, the more likable and socially accepted the person is. These numbers show how many friends we have and these days the popular trend is the more, the better. I have heard people say, “Oh...you only have twenty likes? I have 230 on my last post.” That’s all people care about these days. If you don’t have as many likes or followers, a stranger may perceive you as a person who doesn’t have many friends or isn’t very likable. The number on social media is so unreliable, yet people every day draw conclusions every day based upon those numbers.
 
One’s weight, clothing size, or height should not impact what people think about a person . Just because someone is vertically challenged doesn’t mean they aren’t capable people. Someone who wears larger-  size jeans should not feel shameful or embarrassed about what others will think of them. Numbers are everywhere and people feel certain ways because of these numbers that have been implemented into their lives. There is that sense of fear and the need to fit in and be slim. Everyone  has insecurities and for many, their weight is on the top of that list. For someone to wear a larger  size than their friends can make them feel less confident in their body and they let that number become something that  defines them.

In addition, having great sums of money does not mean you are a happy person. Having more money in society can be seen as smarter and it places families in certain levels  on the social hierarchy. These numbers represent the size of a house in which we live in or the type  of car we drive. Numbers now represent how comfortable we live our lives. Numbers represent our wealth, which is highly valued in today’s  society. However, one can be happy and raise a wonderful family without being rich. It is unfortunate how much we look up to and value people with greater sums of money. Of course life isn’t fair and not everyone  will live a perfect life; however, these numbers shouldn’t tell us how we should live our lives and what opportunities we are exposed to.

Overall, I see numbers everywhere. In my algebra textbook, on cars and on price tags. Numbers are something we can’t avoid and they have  helped us and served us with great purpose. However, as crucial as numbers are in our society, we should not let them  define us. Numbers should not tell us who we are as humans whether it is intelligence or popularity. Numbers definitely are starting to become our labels and I think we need to make sure we take control over ourselves. Numbers should not determine our abilities or limits. Now that we have realized the issue, what can be done to make sure numbers aren’t what define us?