Negative Body Image Social Media

As a wise man once said, “To love yourself is to understand you don't need to be perfect to be good.” However young girls have so much pressure put on them to look in a way that is not only unrealistic but also unhealthy. As a result of this, young girls have a very negative body image and self-confidence.The problem is the unrealistic body standards that media and society have set for girls. According to SSCC, the average American woman is 5’4 and 140 pounds. There is a clear problem when the media is only advertising women that are 5’11 and 117 pounds, which is the average American model. Even though the body of a model is very rare and uncommon,girls are expected to look like they do. However, by promoting a positive body campaign, stopping the portrayal of fake and photoshopped models in the media, and expanding the diversity of models, we could lift unrealistic body standards and start accepting everybody as beautiful.

Throughout history, body image has been determined by various factors, one of them being the media. In the article “How Social Media Is a Toxic Mirror,” written by Rachel Simmons, she shares the story of a woman who admits to being afraid of leaving her apartment without putting on makeup. “I don’t get to choose how I’m going to leave my apartment today,” one young woman told me, “If I could, my body would look different. But I cant choose which picture makes my arms look thinner” (Simmons). One word: Fear. The woman fears the opinion of others. She second guesses herself before she steps foot outside her apartment building. It displays the lack of confidence she has towards herself as an individual and the control the media has over her. The author goes on to discuss how teenagers look up to social media by obsessing over how many likes

Social media is one way to see people views on what the "ideal" body image and it also one of the quickest ways to kills someone's self esteem. People post their pictures on the internet and anyone can view it and is free to make comments as they please. Social media sites like Instagram have made "Likes" and "Comment" a superficial thing in people's minds. If a male or female see that they are not getting the same attention as another on social media because of their body image this could result in a eating disorder depending on the individual. In the article from the daily beast by Emily Shire, she mentions that, "Facebook, Instagram, and other social media technology may be inadvertently worsening the struggles of those suffering from eating

The ideal body image that is seen by society is being tall, thin, muscular, and fit. It is commonly seen across various media platforms, making it more popular. The group of people that are targeted ranges from teenagers to adults who engaged in social networking websites (Fardouly and et, al.). The increase in media consumption has proven that it leads to body dissatisfaction among consumers. A statistic from Body Image shows, “Similarly, 90% of 16-24 year olds in the United Kingdom (Office for National Statistics, 2013), and 90% of 18-29 year olds in the United States (Pew Research, 2013a), use social networking websites” (Fardouly and et, al.). The amount of exposure to social media is relatively high in a particular age. These social networking websites have images that are constantly

Media is everywhere, and what the sources contain effect people from all walks of life but the issue of body image is one thing that seems to stay in constant attention. Psychologists found there was a strong association linking social media use to body image concerns, dieting, body surveillance, a drive for thinness, and self-objectication in adolescents. One study found that female college students who spend their time posting, commenting on, and comparing themselves to photos on Facebook were more likely to link their self-worth to their looks (How Social Media Is a Toxic Mirror by Rachel Simmons). Even though girls report more body image disturbance then boys, it has been shown that both genders are equally

The most popular social media outlet Facebook has been linked to body image according to recent research. Several correlational studies have examined the relationship between social media usage and body image. Studies on pre-teenage girls and female high school students have found that Facebook users report more drive for thinness, internalization of the thin-ideal, and body surveillance, self-objectification, and appearance comparisons than do non-users (Fardouly and Vartanian). Teens that subject themselves to Facebook are influenced by the images that they see. These “ideal images” motivate teens to pursue ways of achieving these “ideal body images”.

(Weiner 2) Claire Mysko an award winning author and expert on body image, leadership and media literacy explains: “While social media is not the cause of low self-esteem, it has all the right elements to contribute to it. Social media creates an environment where disordered thoughts and behaviors really thrive”. (Weiner 2) For most young women with constant use and easy accessibility social media can become an addiction and the ability to become outlet that can either build up / destroy women’s self-esteem. A recent survey of more than 1000 girls in the United States ages 8-17 sponsored by the dove self- esteem fund, showed that 7 in 10 girls surveyed believed that when it came to issues including beauty and body image they did not “measure up.” Only 10 percent found themselves to be “pretty enough.”(Sweeney 3) Among women over 18 looking at themselves in the mirror, research indicates the at least 80% are unhappy with that they see. (Fox 5) We are society literally obsessed with being beautiful. Unfortunately female dissatisfaction with appearance or a poor body image being at an early. The latest survey show that young girls are going on diets because they think they are fat and unattractive. (Fox 5) In one American survey 81 % of ten year old girls had already dieted at least once. (Fox 5) By 13 at least 50% of girls are

These unrealistic images have falsely encouraged men and women to engage in disordered eating and have an obsession over their figures in order to achieve the body ideal portrayed by society through peers and the online worlds. Psychologists indicate disordered eating such as anorexia and bulimia as mental disorders – they are the decision to nourish with the belief that they will fit a certain body ideal standardised by society. According to a study by researchers at Bradley Hospital, Butler Hospital and Brown Medical School, negative body image often leads teenagers to feel depressed, anxious, and suicidal compared to teens diagnosed with other psychiatric illnesses. The study further finds out that the concern constantly occupies their brain

The ability to communicate messages almost instantaneously across the world, for instance, is an incredible gift that has allowed mankind to meet people they never would have in a different time. Technology has allowed us to exchange ideas, experience different cultures, and learn about life in different places and ages. Like anything, technology has both positive and negative effects based on how it is utilized.

To begin, body image is affected by social media. When men and women see ads and magazines with people with perfect bodies that are impossible to get, it lowers self esteem about their body image. In addition, these images are mostly photoshopped also. Patrick Kelleher, from the article “No body is perfect: is it possible to be happy with our bodies when we are constantly being bombarded with images of perfection?” explains “The images we see get stuck in our head, it makes everyone think they need to look like that.” (Kelleher). The text says that social media makes it impossible to feel good about are bodies. In fact, the images we see are photoshopped, but no one knows that. Women and men get distracted from these pictures and makes them obsessed with trying to look like that. This can also lead to eating disorders and anxiety. People get affected by social media when images get stuck in our heads. What social media doesn't show is imperfect bodies. In

Body image is a huge issue around the world. It has affected so many teens,adults,and children all around the world. Since many people are so use to seeing media images,it becomes their basis or their main idea for how their body should look like. If people don't say anything or speak up, future generations of body image will get worse, increasing the amount of stress on young children.

Studies have proven that the media can have a negative impact on body image in both males and females. In the 21st century, we are constantly exposed to images of celebrities and models with the ‘perfect’ body type. Society’s views on body image have been majorly influenced by the media who manipulate images for purposes such as advertising. Often they are flawless and unrealistic and only an extreme minority of people in the world possess the ideal body type.

Social media has become one of the most popular sources of communication for the upcoming generation. For young people growing up in today’s society, social media outlets such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter have provided pictures and news that have become the first thing that their eyes see in the morning and the last thing that they see before bed. These pictures have provided unrealistic standards as to what is considered beautiful in today’s society. As young people refer to these images as a form of comparison, it has created harmful circumstances. These influences on the lives of young people have forced them to take extreme measures and in some cases, has been the cause of death. Social media in today’s society has proven to

The effect that social media transmits through someone's way of thinking about themselves is more powerful than how you actually see yourself. It makes people self conscious about their body image and how they “should” look in order to be able to fit in the social group of theirs. Social media is toxic because it can bring anyone down by the way that they project the beauty standards and also by the pictures and comments of people who make them feel like they are way better than the person receiving the comments and making them want to be at their “level”, so they will do whatever it takes in order to feel just as good as them. When you post a picture on instagram, every minute that is passing you are always checking how many likes your getting from your followers.

Negative body image is a contributing factor for substance abuse disorder in both men and women; it serves as a coping mechanism, a form of punishment, and a way to change their bodies. The percentages of comorbid substance addiction and abuse among people with eating disorders and negative body image are worryingly high. Both legal and illegal substances like cocaine, opioids and tobacco can be used to cope with the physical pain and discomfort, and emotional pain that can come with a negative body image and or eating disorder. The population that suffer from a lack of self esteem and or negative body image from time to time abuse substances as a form of punishment for the way they believe they should look and feel. Most commonly, many men and women use substances to change their bodies, women usually in the direction of smaller while the men usually go in the direction of being bigger. In this paper, the two directions will be separated. One section for those who wish to be smaller and one section for those who wish to be larger. These men and women are handicapped by these types of disorders alone and in silence for years and possible decades, especially if they do not have friends and family who care enough to pay close enough attention to notice when their behavior is changing.