The New Duck Face
I think almost all of us are aware of the infamous ‘duck face’- that face you make to the camera because you’re either trying to look cute, or honestly can’t think any anything else.
Now, there’s something bigger and more important to understand about this ‘New Duck Face.’
Think of a little duckling swimming so effortlessly across the water, gliding almost as if all they have to do is float there and nature does the rest. Below the water is the duck kicking its feet just to stay afloat. However, all one sees is this graceful glide across the water, and we don’t even think about all of the work that goes on below.
That’s a metaphor for the ‘New Duck Face:’ a combination of duck syndrome and Penn Face (see the NY Times). The first refers to students who are working ever so diligently and frantically, but on the surface, they act as if everything is effortless; just as a duck does in the water.
The latter is the front that one might put on to deceive others into believing that they are happy and content when they really might be stressed and/or depressed, as is infamously done at competitive schools, including U Penn.
Why is this relevant or even important though?
Isn’t it a good thing to always look happy?
Consider the new Pixar film, Inside Out.
There, in order to keep the joy in all of the memories, ‘Sadness’ wasn’t allowed to touch any memory. Anytime she tried to touch a memory, she was scolded. But, as viewers, we soon realized that the urge to feel sad isn’t always a bad thing.
We are meant to feel and express a range of emotions so that we can interact and communication with the outside world. When you express sadness, angst, or nervousness, you lift the pressure to keep up ‘New Duck Face.’ Communicating your emotions can show the world that sometimes you might need help.
There’s no need for this front; to show the world that you’re alright. Sadness and anxiety are real, even if the face you put on is not.
A staggering number of deaths arise because students, some as young as high school-age, don’t receive the help they need. Why? Simply because no one knew.
Students are getting more and more pressure to do well in their studies.
A good grade is no longer an accolade, but rather an expectation. A sub-par score has turned into a crisis rather than a simple bump in the road.
The pressure we as students feel is out there and can’t be denied. However, handling it all can get better. Schools are now teaching more about self-care and stress management, but we as individuals need to open the line of communication within ourselves and make the first step today.
