Improving Body Image: Part 3
Coping with media and social media pressure
Media and Social Media Pressure
We are constantly bombarded with images from the media of unrealistic body ideals. While the beauty standard changes all the time, we tend to see a slim, toned, flawless look for females and female-presenting people and a large frame, tall and muscular look for males or those presenting as male. Consistent exposure to these media ideals can make it very difficult to accept our natural body shape.
The proliferation of certain body types in the media, can make us feel like these body shapes are common, in fact the opposite is true. In real life people come in all shapes and sizes. Reminding ourselves that the images we see are not realistic and that body shape does not determine our value or worth.
It is very difficult not to compare ourselves to the images that we see every day. Not only does it make us feel like these body types are common, but it can make us feel like we should strive to look that way, even though it is an impossible ideal. People can spend a lot of time, money and effort and even damage their health and body image to try and meet the beauty standard. It is important that we remind ourselves to step away from comparisons with the unhealthy and unrealistic body shapes promoted in the media. We can push against these pressures by making positive steps towards enjoying the body and the life we have and remembering that body image is only one part of who we are.
Young people describe body image pressure from the media
Young people in particular, report experiencing a lot of body image pressure from the media and social media. A recent survey of young women and girls in the UK found that 8 in 10 girls think there’s too much emphasis on women’s body shape in the media. Research has found that for the majority of young people, social media makes them feel dissatisfied with their appearance.
Here's what the Bodywhys Youth Panel had to say:
“Chasing the image of perfection is like chasing a rainbow – you can see it but you’re never going to get there. ”
“It’s always in the background as a standard and that can make it really difficult to be happy with how I look”
“It’s the ridiculous amount of imagery we see – the male models with their sixpacks ”
“Focussing on perceived flaws can really hinder you from enjoying life”
“Its like that’s how we should look - it definitely causes pressure - I think the pressure is just as bad for guys now too.”
Celebrities describe body image pressure
“I definitely have body issues but everybody does. When you come to the realisation that everybody does – even the people I consider flawless – you can start to live with the way you are”.
- Taylor Swift.
Channing Tatum says the muscular body we see on screen is not how he usually looks:
“My Magic Mike body lasts for about 5 days, like when we’re shooting. You time it until that day and then you lose it immediately”.
- Channing Tatum.
“I can’t think of any better representation of beauty than someone who is unafraid to be herself”.
- Emma Stone
Media editing techniques
It’s human nature to compare ourselves to other people however increased exposure to idealised images can lead us to compare ourselves negatively, to forget to celebrate our own unique qualities and can lead to negative body image. If you tend to compare yourself to images online or in advertising, it may be helpful to remind yourself that most of the media images we see have been edited to look the way they do. It is important to remember that most of the time, the person in the photo doesn’t even look like that in real life.
They are often airbrushed as illustrated in the before and after images and videos below.
This video, (although over 10 years old) clearly demonstrates the media production techniques widely used to produce the images we see in the media.
Social media and body image
While social media can be a great way to connect and provides opportunities to engage with areas of interest it has also been highlighted as an additional pressure to body image, in particular for teenagers. Research indicates that increased time spent online or on social media can impact negatively on body image. Social media posts tend to be about showing our very best selves and the very best of our lives. We are bombarded with picture-perfect images of everyone else, and that can lead to a feeling of being ‘not good enough.’ Many people now also use filters and edit their photos, and this can increase body image concerns as they might find it more difficult to accept their real life selves. Editing of photos may also lead to an increased focus on the aspects of our appearance we are not happy with, which may exacerbate body image concerns.
@alexlight_ldn
However editing is no longer just for advertising and celebrities which means even images of friends or people we know might be edited! There are countless editing apps and most social media platforms have filters built into them. This image of content creator @alexlight_ldn highlights how extreme filters have become - taking her from makeup free and visibly upset to altered facial features, a full face of makeup and her hair styled. It’s really important to be aware that the images we see may be edited and to try to avoid comparisons which may damage our self-esteem.
Editing and filters are not just for images, videos can be easily manipulated to drastically change someone’s appearance – see this example.
Social media pressure
If you find that time online or on social media is impacting you in a negative way then it would be helpful to reflect on this and consider how to change your online behaviours to support your well-being. It’s important to be conscious of how content online is affecting us and to make changes to support ourselves in a positive way. Although it’s not as simple as ‘don’t look’, it is important to try to stay mindful when you are online or using social media. Notice how the content you are engaging with online is affecting you. Tune into your mood and body to notice what is having a negative effect.
Try to limit exposure to content which is making you judge yourself more harshly or which makes you feel like changing yourself. It is also helpful to make your time online purposeful, to focus on what you want to find and avoid being distracted by scrolling online if that is impacting on you negatively
The Full Picture is a short film made by Webwise, exploring how young people use social media to connect and share
Social Media Tips
Tune in to how the content you view makes you feel. Make a conscious choice to unfollow content that makes you feel like changing yourself or makes you less happy with how you look. Set a reminder to go through who you’re following every 6 months.
Use the mute button. If a friend is posting content that is affecting you negatively, but you don’t want to unfollow them, mute them! They won’t know but you’ll no longer get their content on your feed.
Turn off notifications. Go to the settings of your social media apps and turn off notifications. This way you get to decide when you want to engage with social media, instead of constantly being pulled in.
Use time limits. Most phones have built in screen time limits which you can set for social media apps. This can help you use social media more mindfully.
Diversify your feed. Make a conscious effort to follow lots of diverse people, and people who look differently to you. Try to include people of different races, body sizes and abilities in your feed.
Control your suggested content. Many social media apps have settings to control what you see in your advertising and suggested content. Use our video below to change your settings in Instagram. Revise this from time to time and add new terms.
What do you like? Go through what you follow and make sure it’s things that really interest you or inspire you, rather than pages you feel pressured to follow because your friends like them. Take plenty of time to explore those interests in real life as well.
Remember social media is not real life. When we’re scrolling it’s easy to compare our lives to what see on social media. Remind yourself often that people tend to post the ‘good stuff’ and leave out all the everyday, routine tasks so it looks like everyone is having a really fantastic time all the time.
Always question who is profiting? Who benefits from making you feel insecure and like you want to change yourself, because it isn’t you. Big corporations or influencers who are selling products make money on you feeling bad about yourself.
Remember it’s your choice! We may feel pressure to be on social media but ultimately, we get to decide if and how we use it. You can experiment with deleting certain apps for a short period of time and see how that makes you feel. Let your friends know via a messaging app that you’re taking a little break, and they can contact you there.
This video from Bodywhys' Instagram account gives instructions on how to manage your suggested content.
Is social media all bad?
While social media can have a negative impact on body image, it doesn’t mean that all social media is negative. Social media has also become a place where we can see representation of different body types and appearances that we don’t see very often in traditional media. We can choose to make our feeds a diverse place by following a variety of people of all different shapes, sizes, races, abilities etc and by doing this we can start to broaden our idea of beauty.
Some people find following body positive content, which challenges appearance ideals and encourages people to accept their bodies is helpful so you could try this too and see what you think. Try the hashtags #bodypositivity #bopo #bodyacceptance #bodyneutrality. Remember that just because someone is using these hashtags doesn’t automatically mean that they promote the messages of body positivity. What should you look out for when following someone new? People whose appearance deviates from the beauty standard, people who do not promote weight loss or advertise any kind of weight loss products, people who promote accepting and respecting all bodies.
Social media influencers
Social media influencers and content creators are paid by companies to promote their brands or products online. Although they are now legally required to use #Ad, that doesn’t mean that everyone online adheres to this rule, and even if they do it can still be difficult to spot ads on social media. Some of the ‘effortless style’ presented on social media is as heavily curated and edited as photos in ad campaigns. Young people involved in focus groups with Bodywhys have indicated that pressure to look perfect on social media can lead them to take ‘60 or 70 selfies to get the right one’ and to edit their own photos but that doing so leads them to focus on their appearance in an unhealthy way and to feel increasingly unhappy.
It’s very easy to assume that what people put up on social media represents their real life but what we see on social media is a usually a highlight reel of someone’s life, remember that you are only being shown the parts of their lives that they want to show. These posts from Roz Purcell and Megan Jayne Crabbe show just how much we don’t see on social media.
Social media and mood
Social media can promote unrealistic lifestyle ideals and tends to promote a rosy view of life that is unrealistic. Life’s ups and downs are rarely presented online which can skew our perception and leave us unprepared when challenges come our way. If you’re not feeling good, spending more time online or on social media and comparing yourself to the rosy view presented may lead you to judge yourself more harshly. The way social media is designed is so that we can endlessly scroll, always seeing new content and this gives us endless opportunities to compare ourselves. The more we compare ourselves to people on social media, the more negatively it will affect our body image.
Ultimately this may make you feel more isolated. It is always important to be mindful of the impact of social media on our mood or how we are thinking and even more so when we are already under pressure. Try to limit your time on social media if you notice you are comparing yourself harshly and tune in to yourself to consider what might help you feel better at this time.
Useful Resources + links:
📝 This guide provides some useful information about navigating social media apps. Click here
💻 This website gives useful advice about media literacy. Click here
💻 This website shows how your phone is devious by design. Click here
💻 This website has useful tips on how to manage your tech use. Click here
📝 This interactive activity book helps young people take control of their tech. Click here
🎧 Bodywhys Podcast Episode 37: Social media and body image: Addressing knowledge gaps. Listen here
🎧 Bodywhys Podcast Episode 42: Auditing social media algorithms. Listen here
🎥 In this video from the organisation Butterfly, content creators discuss the pressures of social media. Watch here
🎥 This video from Dove shows the pressure on young people to edit photos. Watch here
🎥 This video shows the dark side of online advertising. Watch here
🎥 This video from the organisation Webwise explains big data. Watch here
🎥 This video from the organisation Beat gives helpful tips on navigating social media for people recovering from eating disorders. Watch here