Body image is in today's society unfortunately a phenomenon that concerns almost everyone in the media. It is becoming a materialistic thing in which we, as society, want to show others how a “perfect” person looks. By definition, “body image refers to the multifaceted psychological experience of embodiment that encompasses one's body-related self-perceptions and self-attitudes, including thoughts, beliefs, feelings, and behaviours.” (Frontiers, April 2022)¹. In other words, it explains how a person sees themselves as an individual judging by their physical appearance, and their traits by the thoughts and beliefs which they believe are truthful based on their beauty standards, no matter if they are positive or negative. There have been many studies that show how a person can be affected by the exposition of their bodies to the media, and how positively or negatively it might affect them, and based on today's values and beliefs set by the society, there have been proven more negative effects which may cause to this problem to escalate. “Research clearly shows that media exposure contributes to body dissatisfaction and disordered eating. Social media is unfortunately shaping our concept of beauty. With constant exposure to images posted online, it is evident that there is a link to how individuals compare themselves and perceive their own body.” (Social Media Effects on Body Image and Eating Disorders, April 2022)².
There are several groups that may affect a person's body image, starting from a family member, through one's peer group, right to the media and social pressure. All of these factors may influence an individual's behavior differently, since all elements mentioned above are coming from a different end and relationship vise, while someone feels closer to and cherishes a family member's opinion more, another person might feel the most affected by the media. The media set a horrible example mainly to younger audiences, as their opinions are just creating and shifting to certain directions, they tend to feel the most influenced by the rules that as a society we keen on to complete those rules in order to be accepted into society we think we would fit the most. Most younger viewers experience this situation everyday while being exposed to the pressure of social media. They see models and influencers' posts or advertisements with the purpose of engaging their viewers' attention for the photos, with the idea of how they look is the “right” way, as most of these influencers have thin waists, pretty faces with or without makeup, and seem that they exercise every day for hours. The same thing works for men too, except their role is to look as muscular as possible. They need to look manly, muscular, emotionless, strong, and powerful.
Negative body image pressure can be addressed in a variety of ways, while some of them might be to not be afraid to talk openly about those bad feelings and experiences and try sharing them with others, who might have had the same or similar experiences as one. This might help to ease off the pressure and realize that when suffering, a person is not alone in this world and there is always someone who might have had this experience or at least, tries to understand. With that comes also celebrating positive qualities, skills, or abilities of an individual, rather than focusing just on the physical appearance and how others might perceive us as people. It is important for us, as humans, to know how to acknowledge and appreciate things in our body, but the more important element is in our minds. The soul given to people stays the same forever, as well as the beauty inside; but the looks change over time and even the most beautiful, sexy, and attractive people will be once wrinkly and old. Once people realize it, it will be easier to live with our bodies and minds as one, not as two different divided parts.
These social standards are created by the society, which is us - every single one of us who uses social media. Still, there are thousands of hateful comments everyday which can be found under posts not only from celebrities and well-known people worldwide or nationally, but also on posts under “regular” people - like you, or me. People need to realize that outer beauty does not determine whether they are in fact beautiful or not. It is crucial to realize that humans cannot see themselves as objects and handed over to the system acting like puppets. And, most importantly, we need to realize that not everything that is seen on the internet and social media per se, is true.
References:
Negative body image - understanding and overcoming. Center for Change. (2017, March 15). Retrieved April 28, 2022, from https://centerforchange.com/battling-bodies-understanding-overcoming-negative-body-images/
Fleps, A. B. B. (2021, April 21). Social media effects on body image and eating disorders. News. Retrieved April 30, 2022, from https://news.illinoisstate.edu/2021/04/social-media-effects-on-body-image-and-eating-disorders/
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