A lot of the time, all people talk about are the negative effects of media on teen body image and self esteem. Often, the media does have a very harmful effect on teen body image. However, this is not always the case. The media does promote some positive messages that may help improve teen body image. In fact, there have been more and more campaigns to promote positive body image among young women.
However, before we get into that, I want to start by saying social media is a place where teens and adults alike are prey to the idea of a "perfect body". When looking at images of girls in a magazine almost all us know that they are altered electronically to appear perfect. When it comes to social media such as Instagram, most believe that they are looking at raw pictures, or ‘real girls.’ Whether this is true or not, they are ultimately used as a standard of comparison. For young people who have a tendency towards perfectionism, anxiety, or disordered eating, the (often digitally enhanced) images of skinny girls or women they see online can lead them to equate slimness with happiness. All of this can lead to girls eating less or being depressed, and sometimes even self-harming themselves due to the thought that they are not perfect.
In contrast to this, social media can positively impact body image in a number of ways. Health and wellness, fitness, and plant-based food accounts can all be inspirational models for some users. Through these frameworks, social media users can maintain a healthy and positive outlook on their body image.
I think the biggest takeaway is that we have to realize that all of this is in our minds. We have to realize there's plenty of happiness, beauty, and success to go around. Just because you see someone else having a great life doesn't mean your life isn't great or you can't have as awesome of a life.
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