Many, if not all, personal experiences are directly or indirectly influenced by dominant social forces and are experiences common to many people. In other words, what many see as “problems” are often actually “problems.” Being aware of the relationship between personal experience and society as a whole is what is known as having a “sociological imagination” (Lemert, 2012, p.15). People often fail to be aware of the connection between problems in their personal lives and the bigger picture surrounding prevailing issues (Mills, 1959, para. 3). Therefore, they lack sociological imagination. There is a significant difference between “problems” and “problems”. Problems are private matters, matters that can be fully explained by an individual's character, or matters that can be attributed to fate. In any case, it is an issue they feel guilty about and have to deal with on their own (Lemert, 2012, p.15). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In contrast, issues are public issues, widespread and systemic/structural issues. When a sociological imagination is lacking, one is unable to distinguish between the two. To further demonstrate this concept and bring it to life, I will share an example. In the professional field of child and youth care, which is my specialty, a worker will encounter children coping with adversity in many different ways. For example, you might meet a girl who wants to look slim. To achieve this she becomes anorexic, causing serious health problems. Now, if you analyze this as a “problem,” you will conclude that it is your personal insecurity and that the deterioration in your health is your fault. However, if she used her sociological imagination and analyzed it as a "problem", she would come to the conclusion that it is society's obsession in general with having a thin body that has indirectly affected this girl. It is the unrealistic beauty standard in the media, which represents society, which portrays beautiful and desirable girls as thin. This type of representation affects many people directly or indirectly, as happened in the case of this particular girl. If only a few girls in society suffered from anorexia, it would be logical to consider it an individual or personal problem. But when many girls suffer from a similar problem, then it becomes a social issue where the stereotypical attitude towards women and social media needs to be carefully analyzed. It is very important to be aware of the difference and to use your sociological imagination because otherwise you may end up being falsely aware of your social position (Mills, 1959, para. 8). For example, this girl would blame herself and, as a result, feel inferior. Being aware of the connection between your problem and other problems helps you to be aware of the situation, reduces the psychological impact and makes it easier to seek help/solve the problem.