Social Media: a toxic mirror?

Ishita Ahuja

There is a deep-rooted connection between social media use and body image issues. This connection goes beyond the typical insecurities faced on seeing images of what people believe are the ‘ideal’ body, seen through pictures of models and celebrities. There is an obsession that follows these insecurities, and this obsession of having the ‘ideal body’ results in girls and women taking measures to conform to these unrealistic beauty standards. Young girls and women are left with feelings of inferiority, self-doubt and low self-esteem, due to which they try various diets, exercise plans, supplements and an unhealthy way of achieving these standards. Some of these measures cause them to be obsessed with weight loss, what they eat and how much they weigh. Counting the number of calories consumed, forceful purging after binge eating, extended periods of fasting and excessive exercise are symptomatic with eating disorders. These beauty standards and the concept of the ‘ideal body’ is not only a concern for women, but for men too. Men and young boys feel pressured to conform to the standards of renowned sportsmen, actors, and models and they too, turn to drastic measures like excessively working out, consuming protein supplements and following ‘fad’ diets. 

One of the most detrimental effects of the unrealistic portrayal of celebrities and models on social media is the manifestation of these toxic behavioural traits that develop over time. Most social media users nowadays are young, impressionable teens, going through body changes that often result in self-doubt and embarrassment. Social media has become a platform for them for self-criticism and validation from their followers. It is impossible for teens to maintain a healthy body image when they are constantly exposed to celebrities and models that have been photoshopped and airbrushed to hide any imperfections, cellulite, stretch marks and even made to look much slimmer than they actually are. They strive to achieve these ideals of beauty and in turn engage in these toxic behaviour traits that act as precursors to eating disorders.

Eating disorders are illnesses in which people experience severe disturbances in their eating behaviors and related thoughts and emotions. People with eating disorders typically become preoccupied with food and their body weight. Experts have linked eating disorders to a variety of factors and low self-esteem has been seen to be one of the most crucial ones. There are two main types of eating disorders, Anorexia nervosa, and Bulimia nervosa. Anorexia is classified as a complex eating disorder wherein individuals refuse to maintain a healthy body weight, they have an intense fear of gaining weight and they have a distorted body image where they see themselves as being ‘fat’ and overweight despite even sometimes being malnutritioned. Bulimia, on the other hand, is characterized by episodes of binge eating -- eating excessive amounts of food in a short span of time -- followed by purging -- attempts to rid oneself of the food consumed. 

There have been various studies conducted that show the prevalence of eating disorders in the United States, around 30 million individuals across all ages and genders suffer from an eating disorder and this results in at least one death per 62 minutes. According to a study that had been published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, a predictor for suicidal thoughts in college students was the presence of a negative body image. 

According to another study conducted, there is a strong positive linear relationship between social media usage and the development of eating concerns in young adults, aged 19 to 32. This shows that the probability of developing an eating disorder was linked with higher social media usage and frequency. 

Social media, in today’s day and age, does more damage than good. The improbable social media-driven body images only realistically fit an extremely small percentage of the population, but yet it is the criteria by which young adults, especially teenage girls measure, judge and critique themselves. In doing this, they get consumed by the toxic mirror, that is -- social media.

References:

Grabe, S.; Ward, L. M; Hyde, J.S. (2008). The Role of the Media in Body Image Concerns among Women: A Meta-Analysis of Experimental and Correlational Studies.Psychological Bulletin, v134 n3

Sidani, J. E., Shensa, A., Hoffman, B., Hanmer, J., & Primack, B. A. (2016). The association between social media use and eating concerns among US young adults. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 116(9), 1465-1472.

Spettigue, W., & Henderson, K. A. (2004). Eating disorders and the role of the media. The Canadian child and adolescent psychiatry review, 13(1), 16.

Thompson, J. K., & Heinberg, L. J. (1999). The media's influence on body image disturbance and eating disorders: We've reviled them, now can we rehabilitate them?. Journal of social issues, 55(2), 339-353.