Whether we want to admit it or not, social media is one of the most influential pieces of our society’s puzzle. It is incredibly prevalent and powerful and plays a huge roll in all the lives of those who use it - which can be both a positive and very negative thing. Social media platforms are home to a staggering amount of our population. In fact, the latest figures show that 4.48 billion people are using social media in 2021. With so many people constantly using these apps on a daily and even hourly basis, they have a powerful ability to influence lives. 

Social media platforms are centered around the world’s idea of “beauty”. Through pictures, reels, stories, blogs, ads and partnerships – social media users and influencers, and the platforms themselves, are constantly highlighting and promoting products and ideals of what is considered “beautiful” in our society. With social media being so incredibly influential, the strong connection to body image can be both helpful and dangerous. Keep reading to learn about the link between social media and your body image – the good, the bad and how you can maintain a healthy relationship with your body image.

The Negatives

There are so many things to love about social media. Connecting with loved ones who you don’t get to see often, the entertainment of hilarious animal videos, the yummy food “inspo” that helps you to be a top-notch chef at home, just to name a few. While there are many things to love and cherish about this virtual reality we all live in, there are some heavily significant negative impacts on body image in our culture. 

1. Young women’s body image

The negative impacts of social media weigh heavily on the lives of young women. Unfortunately, with social media being so prevalent now, this generation and the ones following are “growing up” on these platforms. Their minds, ideals, and opinions are being shaped and formed at the hands of a sea of billions of strangers. In addition to the ways their minds are being shaped by social media, is the impact that social media has on their developing body image and self-esteem. Adolescent girls who were raised in the time before social media, were free of the constant comparison, the unrealistic images and the expectations set before them of what they “should” look like. Teens these days are not so lucky. Their views of their body and understanding of body image is being influenced heavily by social media platforms that portray unrealistic standards of the female body. It seems as though young women raised in the age of social media, don’t have even a fair shot at establishing a healthy body image.

 From the time young women have just reached their teen years, to the time they are college women, they are comparing their bodies and appearance to those around them. Unfortunately, because of social media, the comparison doesn’t stop there. It is in the palm of their hands, in the devices that they are spending most of their time. The source of unlimited comparison is instantly accessible, creating huge problems in the developing minds of young women.

 2. Constant comparison 

Comparison is the thief of joy, right? It’s true. If you are spending your time and energy focusing on the life and reality of someone else around you, you have no energy to spend loving what you have. Unfortunately, social media sites are a breeding ground for comparison. We get lost in the sea of infinite posts and pictures, scrolling endlessly on our phones, watching everyone else’s lives unfold. We see people going on trips, accomplishing so much, living incredible and successful lives – but most likely, there is an entire other side of life that people aren’t showing. They aren’t showing the parts of life that aren’t rainbows and butterflies; the lows, the bad days or the frustration at work and at home. The same is true for what we show about ourselves and our body image. The majority of users are showing the most flattering pictures of themselves with the best angles and the most flattering pose. While we sit behind our screens and compare our lives and ourselves to the accounts that we follow, we’re comparing ourselves to some really unrealistic representations of “real”. If you aren’t on social media, you are able to be in your own life, living in your own skin, and free of the endless comparison that social media allows. It’s so important to love and appreciate what we’ve got, and social media makes that even harder to do.

3.  Diet culture 

For so long now, the idea of the “perfect” or ideal is skewed and unrealistic. We as a culture have put such an emphasis on thinness, making sure your thighs don’t touch, that you don’t have a single stretch mark and there is absolutely no cellulite to be found on your body. There is a toxic obsession with body image and that has led to so many people hating their body or thinking that they aren’t the image of healthy and beauty. Social media not only promotes that, it is the driving force behind it. If the accounts and influencers you follow show a certain body type and the whole world is chasing that, then you will inevitably believe and strive for that. Instead of loving the body you have, you are wishing to be different and going to great lengths to try and change. The reality is, not everyone is built to be thin. All body types are equally beautiful and ideal. Thinness is not the only representation of beauty. And being small or skinny does not equate to health. 

What happens as a result of this diet culture, is a significant link to body dysmorphia and eating disorders. Women see the example of what they should look like and, in turn, want to obtain that. They can’t control the body they were given, so they do what they can to control what they feel is in their power – their diet. This leads to disordered eating and an extremely unhealthy relationship with food and eating.   

 In addition to all of these completely unobtainable expectations, there is a never-ending list of cleanses, diets and “quick fixes” that are heavily promoted and pushed on all social media users. They promise to help you achieve the “ideal body”. Social media pushes 30-day programs, workout regiments and diets/eating styles that are specifically made to achieve those “body goals”. These programs and fixes don’t emphasize true health and wellness, they contribute to a fatal flaw in our culture’s view of body image and beauty. 

4. False representation 

Here’s the deal: social media gives people the ability to put out an illusion. So much of those “perfect” photos you see on your feed are a lot of smoke and mirrors. The faces you see and the bodies you are looking at, could very possibly (and most likely are) filtered. There are filters that change the color of your skin, filters that make your lips appear fuller and filters that give you freckles, eyelashes, etc. You name it, there’s a filter for it. With the extensive number of filters that are used, it makes you wonder what is real and what isn’t? Is there such thing as natural beauty anymore, or is it all completely changed and enhanced by technology? The billions of people who reside on social media are stuck trying to measure up to images of others that aren’t even real. This sets unrealistic expectations of ourselves and what we should want to look like.

Beyond just those filters, there are countless other ways to change your appearance in a photo. Photo editing apps give people the ability to quite literally change their body, face, shape and really any other feature desired. These apps give you the ability to shrink parts of you that you want smaller and stretch those that you want bigger, all with just a touch of your finger. This trend has such a damaging influence on our relationship with our bodies and the way we view the appearance of others.  

Positive effects of social media

While one could go on and on about the negative impact of social media on body image, there are ways that social media can really benefit people and their relationship with body image. Unfortunately, you have to do a little “unlearning” and scrolling with intention to truly reap those benefits.

Here are some ways to have a positive experience on social media… 

1. Follow body positive accounts

Make the choice to seek out the accounts of influencers and other people who promote body positivity; the women and men of all different body types, who disrupt the narrative of what the idealized body is. They are out there, and as body image culture starts to shift, they are more and more common. There are infinite amounts of people on social media platforms who share body positivity, love for their own body and body appreciation. They show you what real bodies look like and display the normalcy of bodies that aren’t what society has groomed us to believe is beautiful. Research shows that when a person views body positive accounts and view content that makes them feel good in their own skin, they leave their social media experience feeling an overall sense of happiness and contentment. Being intentional about which accounts you choose to follow can actually make your time spent on social media positive and beneficial to your mental health.

2. Unfollow accounts that have a negative impact 

It is more common than not that social media use has a negative influence on our mental health. The constant comparison, negative feelings and push of diet culture can trigger mental health predispositions and even disordered eating habits. An effective way to protect ourselves from those negative influences, is to filter our feed. It’s more than okay, and in fact encouraged, to unfollow accounts that negatively affect your mental health and well-being. In addition to choosing to follow social media accounts that are beneficial to our body image, eliminating accounts that lead to body dissatisfaction and appearance comparison will protect your time on social media and encourage a healthier experience.     

3. Surround yourself with a community

 One of the biggest positive aspects of social media is the sense of community. There are millions of like-minded individuals on social media platforms, all you have to do is seek them out. With so many people using social media today, the amounts of individuals that align with you are countless. Building an online community that speaks body positivity, more specifically the area of body positivity that resonates with you, can make a significant difference in your relationship with your body image. Find the social media users out there that feel like people you would be friends with outside of social media; the ones who build you up, make you feel comfortable in your own skin and leave you feeling better than you did before viewing their content.  

Building a powerful, positive community of social media users can make a huge difference in your time on social media. This community can give you positive affirmations and feedback, commiserate with you in your moments of negativity and hardship and make you feel less alone in your journey with your body image. While you have to be intentional about your social media usage in order for it to be truly beneficial, the important thing is that it can be positive. 

As you can see, social media and your body image share an intrinsic relationship that is shaping our culture and our interpretation of beauty. The adolescent teens in our society are developing their self-esteems and concept of body image, in a time where social media truly runs the world. It is causing profoundly negative psychological impacts such as depression and anxiety. In addition to the mental affects that social media has on its users, it is creating a huge spike in eating disorders and body dysmorphia. The depth of the negative impact of social media on our society in terms of body image is deeper than many realize. 

So what can you do about it? 

In a world that is so closely tied to social media and the internet, it is integral that we find a healthy balance between social media and our real, every-day life. Unfortunately for all of us social media users, that balance is hard to achieve. It takes intention, perspective and self-control to set healthy boundaries with social media. And it certainly isn’t the most popular thing to do. But it is always worth it. In order to protect your very delicate and important relationship with your body, it is vital to actively work toward a healthy balance in your social media use. If you are struggling with your body image or any negative effects of social media and body image, the counselors at Insight Northwest Counseling are here to help you.

Reach out to us to learn more about what we can do to help you navigate this difficult journey.