Best Practices

By Tori Kyer and Emily Cain

Tori Kyer:

Microtrends in fashion play a central role in shaping unrealistic body expectations, especially for young women, by promoting clothing styles that flatter only a narrow range of body types. When trends such as low-rise jeans, ultra-fitted basics, and body-conscious silhouettes dominate the fashion cycle, they convey a clear message: only certain bodies are meant to be visible. 

Research confirms that pattern. The research article “‘We’re categorized in these sizes–that’s all we are:’ uncovering the social organization of young women’s weight work through media and fashion” found that young women feel fashion systems categorize them by size rather than individuality, leading many to internalize the belief that thinness is a prerequisite for being seen, styled, or socially accepted. These trends encourage individuals to believe their bodies should fit the trend, instead of seeing fashion as something adaptable to diverse bodies. Healthier practices can counter this message by reframing fashion as a tool for self-expression. 

A body-respect approach, which involves choosing clothing based on comfort, confidence and personal style, can benefit one's mental health and perception. That supports a more stable identity foundation. Aligning with Identity Construction principles, which propose that self-concept grows from lived experience rather than external approval, can help. Asking questions like: “Do I feel grounded in this?” or “Does this outfit support who I am today?” interrupts comparison cycles and helps individuals resist the pressure to shrink or reshape themselves for fleeting aesthetics.

Those pressures intensify when body types themselves become trends, shifting rapidly between curvy ideals popularized around 2016 and the reemergence of early-2000s thinness in 2025. Such cycles can convince young women that their bodies should evolve with the cultural moment, almost like seasonal accessories. 

The research article emphasizes that even when body-positive messaging appears, structural norms continue to reinforce thinness as the most acceptable form. That creates tension between public “body acceptance” rhetoric and private feelings of inadequacy, especially when social media emphasizes a transformation culture. A healthier counter-practice is prioritizing body stability, doing so by grounding identity in health, functionality, energy levels and emotional well-being rather than visual trends. 

Unfollowing accounts that glorify rapid transformation, searching for creators with diverse body sizes and practicing affirmations such as “my body is not a trend” can strengthen internal identity formation. Journaling physical experiences, like sleep quality, hunger cues, mood changes or energy from movement, can also refocus attention on lived wellness. This shift from external to internal evaluation is essential for long-term mental health because it removes the pressure to meet ever-changing aesthetic norms that were never realistic or sustainable in the first place.

The rise of GLP-1 agonists, which are a class of medications that help lower blood sugar and promote weight loss, according to the Cleveland Clinic, has become common. Medications like Ozempic and Wegovy demonstrate how deeply microtrends can extend beyond clothing and makeup into medicalized body modification. Originally intended for diabetes and obesity treatment, these medications became aesthetic commodities when influencers began showcasing rapid weight-loss results. Terms like “Ozempic face” reflect a cultural shift that frames medical interventions as beauty tools rather than health strategies. This normalization mirrors the pressures described by the research article, which found that young women respond to weight-related expectations with behaviors aimed at hiding, shrinking or altering their bodies. 

When weight-loss drugs are portrayed as shortcuts to current body ideals, it reinforces the idea that drastic interventions are reasonable responses to social pressure. A healthier narrative centers on bodily autonomy and informed medical decision-making. Encouraging young women to question why rapid weight loss is glamorized, to learn about pharmaceutical marketing and to seek guidance from healthcare professionals, not online influencers, thus helping restore a sense of grounded self-direction. Prioritizing long-term health and emotional stability protects individuals from the harmful notion that trend-driven weight modification is necessary or normal.

Microtrends in makeup operate in similar ways by promoting constant upgrading, experimentation and consumption. Viral hacks, new product categories, and “must-have” releases create the perception that beauty requires continuous improvement. The article “Social media and body image: Recent trends and future directions” found that frequent exposure to idealized images, especially those involving filters, edited selfies or carefully curated beauty content, contributes to appearance pressure and dissatisfaction.

Those cycles are intensified by influencer marketing strategies that blur the line between genuine recommendations and sponsored content, encouraging viewers to believe that the next product will correct perceived flaws. Healthy counter-practices include intentional consumption and media literacy. Recognizing when lighting is engineered, when a video is filtered or when an influencer is being paid to promote a product helps users take back autonomy. 

Slowing down the urge to buy by asking, “Do I want this, or did my algorithm convince me I need it?” encourages more mindful decision-making. The article also emphasized the power of reducing exposure to appearance-focused content, which has been shown to lower comparison and improve body image. Following creators with unedited skin, behind-the-scenes transparency or realistic beauty routines can help disrupt unrealistic expectations. The goal becomes less about maximizing aesthetic perfection and more about cultivating awareness and authenticity.

Microtrends also intersect with consumer behavior in ways that deepen psychological strain. When individuals feel dissatisfied with their bodies, they may be more vulnerable to impulsive purchasing as a way to cope with negative emotions. The research article “Body Image Dissatisfaction and Impulse Buying: A Moderated Mediation Model” found that body image dissatisfaction predicts impulse buying because it lowers self-acceptance and self-esteem, leading consumers to seek immediate relief through material acquisition. For many young women, this means accumulating makeup, clothing or skincare products in hopes of achieving an idealized appearance. This cycle rarely provides long-term satisfaction and often leads to greater frustration, reinforcing the belief that identity must be constantly fixed or upgraded. 

To break this cycle, individuals can practice pausing before purchases, unfollowing accounts that promote overconsumption, and grounding self-worth in attributes unrelated to appearance or acquisition. Recognizing that what you consume is not who you are creates space for identity formation that is more stable and self-directed.

Finally, algorithms intensify all these pressures by creating echo chambers. These are digital environments that repeatedly present users with body - or beauty-focused content once the platform detects interest or insecurity. A single search for “face slimming hacks” or “low-rise jeans outfit ideas” can lead to an entire feed dominated by the same aesthetic ideals. 

The research article “‘We’re categorized in these sizes–that’s all we are:’ uncovering the social organization of young women’s weight work through media and fashion” notes that repeated exposure to appearance-focused content heightens comparison and internalization of beauty norms, reinforcing dissatisfaction. Echo chambers make trends appear universal, even when they represent only a narrow slice of real-world diversity. 

Healthier digital practices include curating a diverse feed, using “not interested” features, searching for content based on individual features rather than trends and taking regular breaks from appearance-oriented media. Asking reflective questions while scrolling, such as “Is my feed reflecting my interests or my insecurities?” helps users consume content consciously. These practices create a buffer between the user and the algorithm, allowing individuals to reestablish control over the narratives shaping their self-image.

Emily Cain:

A lot of young women express having body dissatisfaction due to social media and the standards that are being pushed upon them. The article “A qualitative study of social media and body image in early adolescent girls,” explored the role that media consumed by girls of a certain age is affecting their self-esteem and image perception. They observed that social media offers ample opportunities for young girls to compare themselves to others based on appearance, which can often be altered in online content, therefore promoting unrealistic standards. Those feelings of dissatisfaction can be due to a lack of diverse representation of different body types or groups on social media. For so long, companies would fail to include more than just one archetype of a model or person in their commercials, campaigns and promotions.

Despite social media being a vast space for anyone to post content and share their own stories and experiences, it is often that the most popular and famous creators set unrealistic beauty and lifestyle expectations, even if it is not deliberate. People often romanticize influencers’ lives and appreciate viewing something that is more unattainable because they appreciate being swept away from their own reality, even for a few minutes. However, it becomes repetitive to see the same types of women being praised for their looks and highly unrealistic lifestyle, especially when it promotes a narrow standard of beauty or appearance.

Looking at this through The Standpoint Theory, it is important to understand how everyone’s individual social positions, identities, and experiences shape perspectives, especially when it comes to recognizing physical differences and the beauty in diversity. It is one thing to simply promote a diverse group of creators on social media, but it is another thing to highlight the singular experiences of those individuals. Many marginalized groups are hardly granted the opportunity to voice their own experiences, which is the reason those groups feel highly underrepresented in the media.

People in these marginalized groups, especially women of color, are tokenized and used to make audiences believe this promotion of diversity and inclusivity is sincere. However, that is not always the case and consumers of this content are showing improvements in media literacy, meaning they can likely notice when the portrayal is insincere.

One way social media can move to promote diversity and inclusion in an authentic way is to push content that centers around people’s lived experiences and first-person narratives. The Standpoint Theory is important to consider when discussing how to improve authentic representations of diversity because it states that these marginalized groups provide unique insights based on their experiences when it comes to these societal structures. By humanizing creators and these experiences and issues on social media, viewers will be able to empathize with a real-life story, rather than generalizations about women of color or others in marginalized groups. There is a lot to be learned about one another through the sharing of individualized stories and experiences. 

Therefore, by consuming this content that focuses on individuals and their stories (particularly those who have faced adversity and dealt with unfair, racist or misogynistic treatment) only helps to increase media literacy and human decency, which is so quick to be forgotten on social media due to everyone feeling entitled to share their opinions, which are often harmful.

There have been social media campaigns that aim to promote diversity by spreading awareness, including various clothing and beauty brands. Some examples include Aerie and its ongoing #AerieREAL Campaign, Fenty Beauty’s 40-shade foundation launch in 2017, and Dove’s “It’s On US” campaign, which began in 2023. The beauty industry relies so heavily on a diverse group of consumers, so it is in beauty companies’ best interests to ensure they are authentically representing all groups of people.

Media literacy does go both ways. It is up to consumers and viewers to understand the media they are exposed to and to have a grasp on the intention and messaging behind this content. On the other end, however, it is equally as important that content creators, influencers, and brands understand what content they are pushing to these viewers, and that they comprehend the implications of this content. There is a deliberate reason people feel and are represented on social media, because they want to be understood and accepted by others, even if they sometimes feel isolated due to their identity. This ties back to young women and girls feeling as though there is a lack of representation of body types or other beauty standards that they can relate to.

In the research article “‘Why don’t I look like her?’ How adolescent girls view social media and its connection to body image,” studies how adolescent girls view themselves and their bodies because of social media. The phrase “Why don’t I look like her” is utilized in the article, and it is a clear representation of the feelings toward a hyper-specific beauty standard that makes individuals feel lesser because they don’t see someone who looks like them in social media campaigns or garnering much attention online.

The algorithm on social media platforms does play a role in the type of content people are seeing. This means that people can be creating and promoting content that is genuine in its messaging about diversity, but if the algorithm doesn’t deem that as something people would want to see, it doesn’t really stand a chance. There is still a lot of work that needs to be done in terms of improved media literacy and awareness when it comes to discussing sensitive topics such as body image and self-worth. However, it is just as important to make sure these difficult conversations are happening, and all types of people are given the space to share their stories and how they relate to acceptance of not just themselves, but of others, too.

As social media continues to grow and change, authenticity and inclusivity must continue to do the same, ensuring people’s personal stories and experiences are not lost. Using frameworks such as Standpoint Theory or other ways of critical thinking allows for this to happen by ensuring that these marginalized voices are being recognized.