Body Image: A Social Media Lens
Body image issues are not new; our mothers and grandmothers, and their grandmothers set general expectations for their daughters. Advertisements and print media set and solidified those expectations. However, the rise of social media in the 21st century has shifted the way people look at body image in western media.
In the article from Vox, the body image is analyzed from the perspective of Millennials vs. Gen Z. The body positivity movement was mentioned, pointing to women such as Lizzo and Ashley Graham as some of the bodies of the movement. While some celebrities actively work to promote the body positivity movement online, it doesn’t give teens an idea of what body positivity looks like in real life.
Not all overweight individuals support the movement. Many overweight people struggle with body image issues, and they’re actively trying to lose weight. More often than not, comments about their body can be upsetting and triggering.
Across many platforms, women agree that a person’s body should not be a topic of discussion unless they’re specifically looking for advice or comments. However, the idea of body image isn’t just for adult women; young girls are impacted now more than ever before.
Even Dove, a major corporation, has chimed in on the topic of body image with their marketing campaigns.
Shanspeare, a commentary YouTuber, has created a video essay, diving deeper into social media’s obsession with body image and aesthetic curation.
All of these articles, videos, and comments point to the same culprit creating these toxic standards. Social media is controlling Gen Z, and potentially Gen Alpha, the young children of our society. Being exposed to mass media such as TikTok and YouTube will have lifelong effects on future children, as ideas are being indoctrinated on them every day.
