Picture credits: https://savvytokyo.com/body-confidence-and-body-positivity-in-japan/women-of-different-sizes-and-races-modeling-underwear/
TW: pro-anas, mention of eating disorders. I have put the TW before the paragraph discussing this - please only read if you're comfortable.
Curvy, but not too curvy. Thin, but not flat, because that’s undesirable. You don’t have enough muscles? That’s unattractive. Oh, also, you’ve got to be a five-foot nine slender pale runway model with an hourglass figure, or else you’re just not good enough.
Societal expectations of the “perfect” body are becoming more specific, let alone unattainable and unrealistic. Everyone is born with a different body, yet somehow society has conditioned us to think that we will unlock true happiness by shedding a few pounds and doing intense HIIT workouts. But that’s far from the truth. How can we ever be truly happy if we base our happiness on the existence of a thigh gap?
Our worth is not defined by our shape or size.
While social media has brought its benefits, many argue that such tools have exacerbated body image issues in turn. I have to admit that I’m no stranger to this, despite my frustration at the concept of a “perfect” body. I’ve been struggling with body image and the self-esteem issues that come with it for some time, and one question I think about a lot is whether my activity on social media has anything to do with it. I’ve decided to write this little rant/article to explore both sides of the argument and to share my thoughts on body image, body positivity and the likes of it. Ultimately, I hope to reach out to people who share the same struggles and remind everyone that they are never alone.
Of course, social media has been a revolutionary technology that has brought countless benefits, opened up opportunities and made the impossible possible. I am by no means trying to imply social media has been nothing but harmful to humans, but I believe with the increasing use of technology, it is important to discuss the nastier sides to it as well.
Photoshop and similar tools have allowed users to edit their pictures before uploading them. I am a firm believer in posting whatever you feel confident about, but the rise of photo-editing has created a massive circulation of pictures showing unrealistic bodies – the “ideal” bodies. While photoshop might just be a harmless tool to boost someone’s confidence, the actual problem I see is the lack of disclaimers that say the photo has been edited. Once these images build up, people and especially impressionable people like children are taught that this is what beauty standards look like. It isn’t uncommon for people to then start comparing their own bodies to the unrealistic ones they see on Instagram, and there blossoms an unhealthy cycle of negative self-talk and comparison.
A key feature social media offers is anonymity. There have been lots of incidents where users abuse their anonymity to post hurtful, body-shaming comments on someone else’s post, whether it be an influencer being under fire or just about anyone being attacked by cyberbullies. What infuriates me is that some are posted deliberately to laugh at a person’s body, while some are merely harmless jokes to stir up some drama. Either way, these comments can lead to the drastic deterioration in a person’s self-confidence and mental health behind the screen, which we often do not see. Because of social media’s anonymity, people can easily type snarky comments from their bedrooms without the fear of confrontation. In this way, social media has innocently created a medium of body-shaming. Whether they are typed or said, words are equally as powerful and should never be used lightly.
(TW: pro-anas, mention of EDs)
I’d also like to talk a bit about pro-anas. If you’re not familiar with what pro-anas are, they are people or accounts that encourage and glamourize eating disorders, which they often promote as a diet. Some time ago, I stumbled upon the first pro-ana post I’ve ever seen, and while I dismissed it at first, somehow the algorithm decided I wanted more of these posts, so my feed was trashed with these pro-ana accounts. Luckily, there are now bans on specific words, such as relating to pro-anas, and settings that you can adjust to filter out triggering content which I would highly recommend if you ever see a dodgy post cropping up. Along with the excessive encouragement of restricting your diet, there were also horrible “inspiration” photos that…well…were designed to inspire you to start this “diet”. These accounts soon led me to toxic online places, and it showed me just how dangerously social media can reinforce toxic mindsets if the wrong content is exposed to people.
But is social media entirely to blame for negative body image? I genuinely don’t think it is. I think that people should continue to post whatever they feel confident posting. In fact, their confidence should be celebrated! However, I equally think disclaimers should be put in so that false impressions won’t be created, as this would reinforce societal standards even more strongly. There also is a strong sense of competition on platforms such as Instagram, where we compete to have the most followers, the most likes or the prettiest pictures of our finest selves. What we need to remind ourselves is that people generally show their best sides on social media. Social media is not a truthful representation of a person’s life, or what they’re going through, so for this reason we should try to limit comparing ourselves to the bodies we see on Instagram, and remember there are low points, personal struggles and humans behind the faces we see. It is much easier said than done, but we can do this!
While many social media platforms have progressed to banning triggering accounts, content or keywords, accounts can still be found and accessed when they really should be taken down. However, body-shaming is so ingrained in our society today that social media cannot be the only one to blame for this. Although there are lots of dark accounts on the Internet that spread body-shaming and more, this has been met by a rise in uplifting and body-positive people on the Internet as well that make my heart warm.
Contrary to what it seems like, social media can actually be beneficial in spreading body positivity! The sheer number of body-positive accounts is heartwarming evidence of how society is progressing and is willing to progress. Influencers have taken upon it themselves to make use of their big platforms and champion their cause, many being body positivity. There is so much love on the Internet. You would be scrolling, and your feed would be blessed by a video reminding you that you’re gorgeous and giving you encouragement when you need it the most. You would find people proudly showcasing their body shape and inspiring others to be confident in their own skin. Or accounts that send daily positive affirmations your way. There is so much more, but my point is that social media has come a long way - society has come a long way, and there is a large, welcoming and supportive online community that is combatting negative body image and fighting against what we have been taught to believe. That’s pretty amazing, to say the least.
One important benefit social media brings us is the ease of communication. Because of this, so many people strive to bring mental health topics to light through social media, in order put their message forward easier. It has also facilitated people who wish to reach out to people who relate to them and talk about their struggles and more, which has been a massive benefit to the mental health of lots. One of my favourite things about social media is that it has created more opportunities for us to compliment each other and hype each other up, boosting people’s confidence and realizing that they’re amazing just the way they are. So, really, it is a bit unfair to say social media has been perpetuating negativity all along.
Living in an age of technology where sometimes the negativity of social media can outweigh the positivity, it can be hard to be totally confident and happy with your body. For people who want to start being mindfully body-positive, many can feel a certain pressure to be completely happy with how their bodies look like, so there is another way to go about this: body neutrality. I learnt about this term a few weeks ago, and I thought it was a brilliant idea. It is a concept that focuses on what your body can do for you and what it provides you with in order to appreciate your body. Loving every bit of your body can be overwhelming for a start, so view your body as what it does for you. For example, instead of looking in the mirror and thinking “I love how my body looks”, think “My body carries me wherever I go.” For some, this could be the stepping-stone to achieving body positivity, but for others this could be the goal, and that’s equally as amazing.
This has been one lengthy ramble. All in all, I really believe there is both a good and bad side to social media, as with everything, but it is very encouraging to see the gradual increase of support and acceptance of all body types online which is reflected in our society, and I have tremendous hope that it will continue in that trajectory. I’ve recently started to try and unpack my body negativity and unhealthy habits and mindsets, and although it’s uncomfortable, I do hope that anyone who’s struggling takes that first step and steps out of their comfort zones too (sorry the pun was bit gross)! As always, know that you’re not alone in whatever you’re dealing with, and if you need someone to rant to, my DMs are always open. :)
P.s. if nobody’s told you today, you’re hot x
I reached out to you all and asked you this on my story:
"Negative body image is a thing that lots of people struggle with. What kinds of advice would you give a person struggling with this, especially taking into account the effect social media has on body image?"
Here were some lovely answers...
"Say heaps of people comment just to hate and remind them how amazing they look!"
"Please don't compare yourself to others on social media. They're not you and you don't have to be like all the people you see. A lot of the time, photos are edited and you don't see everything. They're not you, and it doesn't matter what you look like. You don't have to be beautiful - that's not what we should judge people on."
"Stop following accounts that make you feel bad about your body"
"Know that you are your own priority. Love yourself for who you are, regardless of the body type"