Perfect grades, perfect bodies, perfect friends. Welcome to Generation Supergirl - the young women who are supposed to have everything. Unlike their grandmothers, they don't have to fight for their right to be heard. Unlike their mothers, they are confident they can have the career without sacrificing the home life. Record numbers of them are achieving top grades, heading to the best universities and on to great jobs. But are all these opportunities making them happy? According to a new book, Supergirls Speak Out: Inside the Secret Crisis of Over-Achieving Girls, the answer is no. As the book's 21-year-old author, Liz Funk, explains: Their search for perfection has turned them into stressed-out women who are at risk of eating disorders, depression and even suicide . So why have so many teenage girls come to the conclusion that anything short of perfection is failure? Stephen Hinshaw, professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, believes that they are suffering from the weight of expectations: society's, their parents', and most crucially , their own. They are constantly bombarded by "perfect" celebrity(, ). Articles about how to have the perfect career and perfect life appear to be everywhere. So it is hardly surprising that increasing numbers of young women are unable to cope and are unsure of just who they are. "Many teenage girls have no intrinsic sense of their own worth," says Funk. "Instead, they see themselves in terms of how they look, how they are seen, what they've achieved." Teenage girls believe that they must be all things to all people. They must be good at "girl" stuff-cultivating relationships and being beautiful - as well as being good at "guy" stuff - competing aggressively both at college and in the workplace. According to Funk, teenage girls need to recognize that "you don't have to be successful at everything." "Young women should take time for themselves and think about what matters to them, or enjoy life for what it is," she said. What does Funk advise teenage girls to do?
Enjoy the time when they are alone. Learn to develop relationships. Consider what really counts in life. Be optimistic about their future.