Essay Sample about Effects of Social Media on Self-Perception

Social Media is a common platform that is used in the everyday lives of teens and adolescents. Due to this, many people have gained low self-esteem and self-perception. Social Media has a negative influence on the self-perception of adolescence causing people to change the way they view themselves. 

The overrepresentation of unrealistic standards can negatively affect body image and the self-perception of one. In Romeo Vitelli’s informative article, “Media Exposure and the “Perfect” Body”, he informs the audience how overweight bodies are often laughed at because of how the ideal body has been skinnier figures. The author states, “when overweight people are shown at all, they are presented as comic relief and often ridiculed. The romantic heroes and heroines on the other hand, typically have bodies that are smaller and thinner than average”(Media Exposure and the “Perfect” Body 1). This affects body image because it shows how the overrepresentation of skinny figures being the body ideal has led to the ones who are overweight, being ridiculed. Seeing how overweight bodies are viewed, it could negatively affect the self-perception of one. They won’t feel accepted because their body doesn’t meet beauty standard. This standard could lead to excessive dieting and overworking the body and lead to Anorexia. Anorexia is a psychological condition in which one feels they are too big and want to lose weight. In Benitez et al’s informative article, “Bigorexia: When the Obsessive Desire for Muscles Is a Dangerous Medical Condition for Some Men”, a bodybuilder started to overwork himself due to bigorexia after he would constantly see other bodybuilders who were very muscular. Bigorexia is the opposite of  Anorexia, where one might think they are too small and their body isn’t muscular enough. The author states, “Hafertepen says the muscular men in the videos he watched and the motivational photos on social media were a trigger”(Bigorexia: When the Obsessive Desire for Muscles Is a Dangerous Medical Condition for Some Men 2). This alters the self-perception because he would feel poorly about himself when he would see other men who were more built than him and he felt that he wasn’t good enough. The unrealistic body figures that are shown on social media negatively influence his self-perception causing him to think he must meet this standard. 

The overrepresentation of unrealistic figures is also portrayed on tv shows and movies conveying skinnier figures as the body standard. In Valerie Siebert’s informative article, 'Their eyes are literally bigger than their stomachs!', the author talks about how all of  Disney’s leading characters have unrealistic body proportions and figures. These body proportions affect body image negatively.  The author states, “It’s no secret that the waists of our Disney characters are ludicrously tiny, but one new series of images proves that their proportions are even more unreal” ('Their eyes are literally bigger than their stomachs!’ 1). This alters the beauty standard because it’s presenting princesses with curvy bodies and unrealistic body proportions, which could affect those who idolize these princesses. This might affect self-perception, especially for young girls because they would think they could only be a princess if they are shaped like this or if they’re skinny and influence the idea that bigger bodies aren’t accepted. In Valerie Siebert’s informative article,'Their eyes are literally bigger than their stomachs!’, she explains how the body proportions of princesses has been upsetting parents of little girls. In the text, the author states, “The shapes of the wildly popular characters have long come under fire by critics who believe that the impossible figures of the princesses project unattainable beauty standards that can have a negative effect on the little girls who idolize them” ('Their eyes are literally bigger than their stomachs!’ 3). Disneys’ princesses and characters are shown with unrealistic waist proportions conveying that they have a “perfect” body which upsets parents of little girls who think of these princesses of being perfect and idolizing them. This unrealistic body image would influence little girls to live up to these standards and could change the way they feel about themselves.

The self-perception of adolescents has been negatively affected by Social media causing people to view themselves negatively. The overrepresentation of unrealistic body figures displayed on big platforms can possibly lead to low self-esteem and affect body image. Unrealistic images have influenced high body standards, which have created a false idea that there is such thing as perfection, and one must meet this standard. Although there is no way to put a stop to this, adolescents should be aware that there is no certain way a body should be shaped and images posted online shouldn’t affect the way they perceive themselves.