Social Media and Body Image
Overview
For almost the past decade, researchers have been enquiring the effects of social media towards women’s body images. The number of women suffering from overall well-being has increased since the rise of social media usage. Between youth and young adult ages, women are being influenced through social media images regarding the ideal body type. By acknowledging the potential damage social media images portray on women, solutions can be created to decrease the numbers of well-being. Although, there is not a direct causation between social media images and well-being, researchers believe there might be a correlation.
There are a few factors that could potentially cause someone to have negative thoughts about their body image due to the things they are exposed to on social media. The amount of time being spent on social media can take a toll on oneself body image if they are constantly being exposed to the "perfect body." The amount of exposure in any scenario has been shown to have an impact on the outcome in some way. Comparison becomes more prevalent from social media usage because of the photo-based content.
Everything comes with a consequence and that includes social media usage. There are many factors as to why social media usage could have an effect on one's overall body image. Eating disorders such as bulimia or anorexia have been proven to be a consequence of comparison on social media. Social media has also proven to have an effect on lowering self-esteem and life satisfaction due to the comparative culture that comes with it.
Social media has been shown to influence the way individuals conceptualize personal opinions about their bodies, especially women. In many scenarios, we are conscious of the causes and consequences regarding the effect social media has on self-esteem but preventions are hardly discussed. Some preventions for low self-esteem or conditions such as eating disorders are counseling, dyadic therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, etc. The main objective is to reduce the severity of the disease or eliminate risk factors. Prevention awareness is a great way to start anyone’s journey to recovery.
In order to highlight the significant impact of low self-esteem and body dissatisfaction, we must first dissect the topic after publicizing it through modern society. Bringing awareness can be shown through movements, marketing, and celebrity influence. Due to the reliability that comes with being a medical practitioner, healthcare workers such as doctors, nurses, dieticians, physical therapists, and more, hold the potential through the verbiage to strongly influence societal opinions about self-acceptance. After learning that every individual is designed to be distinct from one another rather than chasing “better” profiles, awareness related to individuality should become present. In the end, being aware of one’s body position and using self-validation methods has been proven to indirectly have an immense positive outcome on mental and emotional well-being.