Everyone is on
social media platforms looking for the next popular trend; with that, many tend
to come across societal norms where they feel pressured to live a certain way.
I'm not talking about how we interact with one another; or the latest food trends, or how we are
continuing to pollute our mother earth. I'm talking about a more serious matter
in which many people, specifically our youth are growing up with the notion
that they have to be a certain size and look a certain way in order to be accepted. This is where I feel fake news comes
in to play. There are many pictures on
social media that have been edited to make viewers believe that their body
needs to look like. Social media can increase a persons' exposure to body shaming as well as promote body obsessions, comparisons, and competition, all of which can contribute to eating disorders (Tackett, 2017).
Don't get me wrong, body transformations can be healthy;
however, many young girls and boys can lose control in order to make themselves
fit in with societal norms. Many girls want to be skinny; and want to be a size
zero. With that being said, young girls do not realize that these pictures
shown on social media have been edited or distorted to make them believe that
this is healthy. These pictures can cause some serious damage to our young
woman; many girls will develop body issues which can lead to starving
themselves. It is sad that girls will do anything in their power to feel
wanted, or be recognized.
Flipping gender
gears, social media has deemed it acceptable that every guy needs to be
muscular and have a six pack in order to be attractive. This is where many
young boys feel that they will be judged by their peers or bashed on social
media if they do not convey these attributes. Our boys are too young and
uneducated to understand that majority of these muscular men shown on social
media platforms are "fake", not authentic as many choose to take fat
burners or steroids in order to develop muscle. Our young boys need to have a FIRM understanding that this is not healthy, and that harming their body can have long-term side affects if they choose to take the unnatural route.
We need to teach our
youth that majority of pictures on social media are fake and to not believe
everything that they see. We need to STOP them from believing that their body needs to look a certain way in order to be accepted in society. Instead, we need
to teach them along with ourselves to LOVE our body and to live our life in the
most POSITIVE, AUTHENTIC, and HEALTHY way possible.
I wonder if everyone
would live their lives more authentically and healthy if we did not have these
social media platforms to cloud our vision? We need to change our views on what
is deemed acceptable and to stop judging one another. The minute self-harm has entered the playing field, we
all need to understand that these expectations are NOT normal and NOT healthy
and it needs to STOP.
References:
Tackett,
B. (2017, May 03). Social Media and Body Image. Retrieved May 14, 2018, from https://www.projectknow.com/research/social-media-and-body-image/
Hi Ioana!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree, social media is a platform that shapes boys and girls lives and influences them to be a certain way and look a certain way. I do not think this is right, we should encourage our youth to take a stand and love themselves.
Recently some people on instagram have made the effort to display fake photos compared to real photos and I think that's beautiful because it teaches people that it is okay to
be themselves and that there are people out there that share their faults.However, we still have those posts that are guiding and pushing people to become people they're not and I do not think this is right. Regarding your question, I believe that we would probably still have influences on how body image should be but I think without social media it would not be as prominent.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading your post as I hate the idea of people thinking it's okay to tell people what they can and can't look like.
Kayleigh Mascarenhas
This is such a hard topic to tackle I find especially with young girls. I have actually heard a 9 year say her legs are jiggly. I try to enforce that body image isn't about looks because some body types will never respond to exercise and diet like others do. It is about health and what you put in your body and how you move it. If you eat healthy and are active you are doing everything right. We are all individuals and it would be boring if we all looked the same. You can not assume someone is unhealthy because of their weight. We have to stop promoting images that are only attainable through photoshop and lighting.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you decided to point out both sides of this issue, the girls AND the boys. A lot of posts about this topic only covers the girl side due to it being more prevalent, as well as the issue starting younger for them (which is very important), but very few actually talk about the male standards.
ReplyDeleteWhile it is generally a good thing to have something to strive towards (to better yourself), something that is literally impossible (such as doctored photos) will only breed negative emotions, as there is never a payoff after reaching said goal.
It's unfortunate that doctored photos don't have to be disclosed as such, like in France.
Ioana,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the body images portrayed in media and other forms of advertising can be extremely harmful to both guys and girls. Not only are these young people thinking that they should look like the photos they see, but due to constant exposure they are also expecting the other gender to look like these ‘supermodels’ images as well. This creates even more pressure, as now it’s not only you that sees your body as not good enough, but the other gender may also be subconsciously furthering this insecurity, by expecting unrealistic results and bodies. I’m not sure about Ken, but I found an article that discussed how it is physically impossible to have a body proportionate to Barbie dolls due to the digestive system not fitting properly in a body that size (which is shown in the link attatched). (http://blog.birchbox.com/post/33914511663/anatomical-barbie-reveals-just-how-impossible-her). What message does this send to young children when this is what they are exposed to at such a young age?
Lauren Sandall
Hi Ioana,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statements. I know girls who download Beauty Apps just to edit their Instagram pictures. They slim their waists, make themselves taller, and even edit abs onto their stomachs. In a world where our self worth comes from how many likes we get on a picture, it makes perfect sense for people to feel as though they have to pretend to be someone they are not. Whether or not you deem this to be okay or not, it is fake, and people can tell especially in person. Why are we trying to hide our true selves and pretend to be someone we are not just to people we hardly know over the Internet?
Despite the fact that the media has attempted to be more body positive, I still think we are somewhat brainwashed into being perfect, and I really do not think this will ever completely go away.
Great post,
Catherine
Good post, Ioana. There is a strong message and a clear takeaway for readers. The polemic nature of the posts does well to prompt response and thought. It also makes it personal. Including some cultural analysis might be helpful to give specific instances where you see these issues reinforced (Thor movies, for instance).
ReplyDelete