Read the following passage and answer the questions based on the passage: For…

Read the following passage and answer the questions based on the passage:

For seventeen-year-old Meera, adolescence was not merely a phase of hormonal transitions and academic
aspirations—it became an arena where perception and self-worth collided with insidious intensity. In a world
saturated with curated digital aesthetics and algorithm-driven beauty hierarchies, Meera’s own reflection
began to feel less like truth and more like betrayal. Every scroll through her social media feed deepened a
gnawing dissonance: between her authentic self and the impossible silhouettes idolized online. This wasn’t
mere teenage insecurity—it manifested as a systematic devaluation of her physical self. Gradually, she
adopted punitive behaviors: food became conditional, mirrors became adversaries, and compliments
transformed into cryptic reminders of inadequacy. The subtle descent into dysmorphia was neither loud nor
linear. Academically capable and socially pleasant, Meera wore the mask of normalcy with precision. Yet
beneath the practiced smiles was a quiet implosion. She began withdrawing emotionally, rationalizing her
distress as vanity, and trivializing her worth. The turning point came not with drama, but with silence—a
refusal to eat for days, which led to medical intervention. Therapeutic engagement introduced her to the
concept of self-image distortion, and the emotional scaffolding required to rebuild her fractured sense of
identity. Through sustained counseling, Meera disentangled societal impositions from intrinsic value. She
began to internalize that beauty is not a monolith dictated by culture but a spectrum shaped by diversity,
health, and self-compassion. Meera’s narrative is not a singular anomaly but a mirror to a larger epidemic—
where teenagers battle unspoken wars behind flawless digital façades. Combating this requires more than
awareness; it calls for critical media literacy, empathetic environments, and systemic redefinition of beauty
norms that extend beyond superficial metrics.

Which of the following best captures the central theme of the passage?