Body Image and the Media: The Cycle Continues
While growing up, I never really paid much attention to the media that was around me and the types of content that I would come across on a daily basis. I never really noticed the countless forms of media that would constantly bombard me with pictures of the ‘ideal’ body standard. I never really noticed how all the men and women on the ads I would see during a T.V show were always close to flawless, never a hair out of place. I also didn’t really notice when I first began using social media, how all the celebrities and models were tall, skinny, and had the ‘ideal’ body type. I did start noticing, however, when I started to become more aware of how my own body fits within the popular beauty standards. I noticed that the media I was consuming since I was young was never really representative of my body, it was rather perpetuating an unrealistic beauty standard that was gradually affecting how I viewed myself.
I’m sure many of us have had similar experiences growing up, where modern media has perpetuated unrealistic and toxic beauty standards that have affected the way we view our appearances. The practice of routinely pushing forth unrealistic beauty standards towards impressionable audiences through mass media has implications on self esteem and self worth for many individuals. As stated by Smeesters & Mandel (2006), previous research has indicated effects in self evaluation as a result of social comparison, where upward comparison can result in decreased self satisfaction. All of these avenues of negative social comparison towards ‘ideal’ bodies can have implications for self esteem and mental wellness. But how do we escape this constant state of comparison, decreased self worth and poor mental health? In my opinion, this is one of the most difficult cycles to tackle, because it starts with acknowledging our own tendency to make harmful social comparisons.
One important way of overcoming the instinct of social media comparison is acknowledging that not everything on social media is exactly as it seems. When you find yourself looking at pictures of models and celebrities who look like they don’t have a single flaw, remember that many individuals often choose to edit their photos to look more admirable. We also tend to spend a significant amount of time on social media, which is a given considering the importance and prevalence of it in today’s society. However, it can be a good idea to start reducing the amount of time you spend using social media on a given day. Now, I’m not saying to completely stop your use of it, but spending less time on social media can reduce your tendency of making unhealthy comparisons. Lastly, it's crucial that we begin to be much kinder towards ourselves and our bodies. We have a very toxic tendency to be mean to ourselves, which is much more than we deserve. The next time you find yourself thinking of yourself in a negative way or using more negative language when describing yourself, make the conscious effort to change the negativity to a more positive outlook. Of course, none of what I’ve mentioned are ‘quick fixes’ to the problem, but are rather gradual steps you can take to overcome social media comparison and to come to love yourself and your body.
Sources:
Dirk Smeesters and Naomi Mandel: Positive and Negative Media Image Effects on the Self (Smeesters & Mandel, 2006) https://www-jstor-org.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/stable/10.1086/500489#metadata_info_tab_contents
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