Effects of Social Media on Body Image Essay Example

Social media and family shape people's perspectives on physical activity in society. Without a doubt, social media impacts our perceptions of appearance and fitness. Despite the negative connotations associated with social media, we are continuously exposed to photos uploaded online. As a result, body image and social media have become intertwined. As a result, social media seems to have a beneficial and negative impact on how we see ourselves.

Body image is strongly intertwined with sports participation, and sports interaction enhances body image. Ricciardelli and McCabe discovered in 2004 that one's body image had a beneficial impact on sports involvement; in other words, the much more positive one's body image becomes, the more active one will be in sports. Further, social media challenges us to make beneficial changes in our daily lives, such as eating healthy, getting regular exercise, and working hard to reach our objectives. Social media users can keep a healthy and positive attitude towards their bodies by adopting these adjustments. Regrettably, social media has more detrimental effects on our body image than positive effects. It establishes unreasonable standards and encourages us to compare ourselves to others, leading to self-doubt. Both women and men compare their bodies to those in the media, according to a survey performed by the Florida House Experience, a healthcare organisation. A total of 1,000 men and women participated in the poll, which focused on their body image, confidence, and use of social media. According to the findings, 87 per cent of women and 65 per cent of men compare their bodies to social media photographs. In that comparison, 50% of women and 37% of men think their bodies are unattractive. People who have a negative attitude towards their bodies are more likely to have social body anxiety, which lowers their self-esteem.

I find myself comparing myself to others on social media more than I'd want to admit, whether it's professional athletes, collegiate athletes, peers, or simply random people with a large fan base. It has a significant impact on my body image, though it does not always affect me negatively. My perceptions of myself and my athleticism are influenced by how social media presents being "fit" or "athletic." I don't fit into the stereotypes that social media has imposed on athletes. In sports, having a negative body image is a huge barrier that demotivates me to engage in training or games, because people will always have an opinion on your physical appearance, even if you don't want them to. Serena Williams, an American tennis star who revolutionised women's tennis with her forceful style of play and won more Grand Slam singles titles than any other woman or man during the open period, is another example of someone whose body image is influenced by social media. "What was celebrated while I was growing up was different," Serena Williams continued in an article. "Venus appeared to be more of what is truly acceptable: she had incredibly long legs and is extremely slim. I didn't see any thick folks on TV who looked like myself. There was no such thing as a positive body image. It was a different era back then." She was affected by social media and began to feel uncomfortable in her own skin.

Knowing more is one of the most effective strategies to overcome this issue. Unexpected mental health and body image difficulties will continue to arise as a result of social media, particularly in terms of how we perceive our own body image. A lot more research is needed in terms of preventative measures and treatment for a negative body image generated by social media. Fortunately, there are still things that can be done, such as following accounts that promote healthy living with factual information or learning how body-positive influencers approach body image or withdrawing from social media to be more active. 

It probably won't surprise you to find that our families shape a lot of our attitudes towards our bodies. From a young age, many of us are aware of this influence on our body image.

According to the Girl Scout Research Group, 5 out of 10 girls believe that their families have an impact on how they feel about their bodies. But, are the values we receive from our family motivating or disheartening?

This may sound like a far-fetched scenario, but parents and families regularly discuss food and weight with their children in similar ways. "You've put on a few pounds, haven't you?" For example, a family member may make remarks. "Here's a diet soda can." In the case of an overweight child, a parent may propose that the child accompany her on a diet plan. While having well-organized, healthy eating habits is a crucial component of living a healthy lifestyle, even well-intentioned comments and dietary restrictions can impact a teen's self-esteem and development. Peer pressure and media depictions of bodies and health have a big influence on a teen's body image. As previously said, our perceptions of ourselves and our bodies have an impact on our engagement in sports and physical activities. Family members, on the other hand, encourage and support their children to be more active and participate in and enjoy physical activity. In most cases, family is one of the most powerful motivators for their children's participation in sports.

It's difficult to get out of being body-conscious when you've already become self-conscious. I've tried to weigh all of the advantages and disadvantages. But the truth is that I am still self-conscious about my appearance, and I can confidently say that I am not over it. No media or film industry has the power to influence us as much as our own family, but with so many families failing to acknowledge how their concerns are affecting their children to become self-conscious regarding their bodies. Family members are not always aware of how their words affect their child's body image and self-esteem. It's obvious to see how remarks regarding weight gains might harm one's consciousness. They may have a similar impact in that they give us the feeling that others are continuously evaluating our bodies, making us feel even more self-conscious. I find myself hearing jokes made about my fitness or weight from family members and taking them too seriously at times, which discourages me from participating in sports. These comments and jokes that are made lead to constant negative thoughts and self-doubt. Similarly, a close friend of mine who was a netball player and an athlete also has this issue, her parents constantly commenting on how skinny she is has a tremendous impact on how she perceives her body. She has resulted in eating excessively to gain weight and she engaged less in physical activity as she thought that, being active was the cause of her weight loss and why she was skinny. This lead to her losing her passion for her sports and she was hesitant and self-conscious about participating in physical activity in physical education classes or extracurricular activities. 

The problem is that there is no such thing as a "perfect" body, at least not in the way that the media defines it. Models' photos are routinely altered in order to make them appear thinner or to improve their features. As a result, chasing the "perfect" figure will only leave you disappointed. Low self-esteem results, which can have a detrimental impact on every aspect of one's life. Instead of discussing dieting, a family member should focus on eating healthily and encouraging their children to exercise more, not to lose or gain weight, but to grow healthier and stronger. 

In conclusion, I have weighed up all the positives and negatives that family and social media has on our body image and how it affects our physical activity in the process and have found that it is one of the biggest barriers and demotivators to participating in physical activities.