Social Media and Body Image

Beauty is not in the eyes of the beholder; it has been altered, copied and pasted, and manipulated to look like everyone else. Society's view on beauty has been molded throughout the years to conform to narrow ideas of beauty, standards filled with negative images portrayed by the media. Today’s media often manipulates images through photoshop editing, promotes fad diets, and sets unrealistic expectations on what a person should look like. Even though social expectations do not dictate who we are, the media negatively distorts body image.

Body image refers to people’s judgments of themselves and their own bodies, often formed when individuals compare themselves to others. By establishing unattainable standards of beauty and bodily perfection, the media drives people to dissatisfaction with their body image. This dissatisfaction can lead to drastic measures and even behavioral disorders as people strive to achieve these unreachable goals. With social media becoming a more pervasive source of information and entertainment, it continues to create body image issues. Through the years, history has shown us how body image has changed because of societal standards.

Before the rapid dissemination of body image messages through electronic mass media, these ideas were spread through magazines, newspapers, books, and print ads. Unrealistic standards of body image are not a recent trend brought on by the rise of technology. Over the past 300 years, body image has been consistently altered in accordance with what society deems attractive. In the 17th century, curvy, voluptuous women were considered the ideal beauty standard in the U.S. and Europe. Peter Paul Rubens, a 17th-century painter, was famous for depicting plump, sensual women, coining the term "Rubenesque." Throughout the 1900s, women were depicted with thin waists, large bosoms, and rounded shoulders, often using corsets to physically shift the shape and size of their waists. From the 1920s onward, body image ideals continued to evolve, typically idealizing slimmer body types. For instance, the flappers of the 1920s had slender builds, women of the 1940s and 1950s felt pressure to conform to the airbrushed ideals of mass-produced pinup girls, and by the 1960s, women adopted slender, almost emaciated looks like those of Twiggy. The 1990s and 2000s sensationalized the "heroin chic" look associated with Kate Moss, which exemplified a slender frame and sunken cheeks, setting another unrealistic beauty standard for models and women to strive toward.

A cross-sectional survey observing trends in body image satisfaction confirmed that females reported relatively more satisfaction in the 1960s than in the 1990s. The comparison of body image and satisfaction has shown to be heavily swayed by media influences. The ongoing alteration of women's bodies will likely continue with the rise of social media. Therefore, history has shown that media imagery is influential in the way women perceive themselves. In today’s society, social media is a primary source of body image dissatisfaction. As technology grows, so does the amount of exposure a person experiences throughout the day. According to a Nielsen Total Audience report from 2018, nearly half of an adult's day is spent consuming media content. This constant exposure affects viewers. With the rise of social media, unrealistic body images and picture-perfect lifestyles inundate screens at any given time. The cookie-cutter image of the Kardashians has become the forefront of today’s social standard, with large lips, curvy hips, and a large buttock seen as the epitome of modern idealistic beauty. Women go as far as to alter their looks through cosmetic surgery to achieve this look.

Although celebrities in the 1980s and 1990s commonly underwent plastic surgery, the significant cultural shift toward creating idealistic bodies has pushed the plastic surgery business into the foreseeable future. Women feel increasingly pressured by the media regarding their bodies. Images shown on media platforms depict unrealistic bodies, reflecting a society with unattainable expectations. However, body-positive accounts have emerged to counteract this societal trend. Body stereotypes have long dictated society’s view on beauty, but the body-positive movement has gained significant momentum in recent years. Plus-size models and other diverse body types are rebelling against society’s push to conform to an ideal body stereotype. The body-positive movement advocates accepting one's body regardless of age, shape, size, and race. Multiple social media accounts celebrate the bodies people currently inhabit. Despite the presence of the body-positive movement, its permanence remains uncertain. Many plus-size models still do not reflect the average American body, often showcasing flawless faces, long legs, and flat stomachs. Societal labels still often deem plus-size models unattractive, subjecting them to heavy criticism. Body-positive social media accounts can also be narrow in their inclusion of what is deemed socially appropriate, sometimes excluding other groups.

There are misconceptions that body-positive groups promote unhealthy lifestyles by accepting those who are larger in size. Regardless of the trend, the truth remains that the body-positive movement is often used by companies as a marketing campaign rather than a genuine "love yourself" movement. Society should promote a positive view of body image, but instead, the movement can sometimes be misleading, producing body dissatisfaction. Body-positive outlets do not necessarily deter the rise of psychological disorders. The impact of social media on body image has led to an increase in disorders such as low self-esteem, depression, and eating disorders. Overexposure to social media has skewed traditional standards of health and beauty for women throughout society. Richard Perloff, a Professor of Communications at Cleveland State University, states, "Many cross-sectional and longitudinal surveys have found that media exposure predicts body dissatisfaction, thin body ideals, and eating disorder symptomatology among preadolescent girls and young women." People compare themselves to these images while internalizing feelings of inadequacy, absorbing the message that their worth is based on their appearance.

While some people react quickly and strongly to images, others remain unaffected. These reactions often depend on individual traits such as self-esteem, perceptions of appearance, and potential triggers. Triggers may exacerbate issues related to body image, such as depression, low self-esteem, and eating disorders. However, overexposure does not always lead to negative body image perceptions. People affected by media portrayals are not impacted equally. The influence of body image standards can manifest in various areas. It is natural to compare oneself to others, but when such observations lead to negative self-perception, it can result in depression, low self-esteem, or even eating disorders.

Unhealthy habits may develop due to unrealistic standards, such as smoking, alcohol, and drug use. Overexposure has accelerated the development of psychological disorders, and with the continual use of social media, the next generation is likely to follow suit. The media has set numerous expectations regarding women’s body image. The ongoing evolution of body image has historically shown a trend toward the downsizing of the human body and what is deemed attractive. People often equate their image with self-worth, yet this should not be the case. Society’s unrealistic standards should not harm individuals who do not feel adequate. Images of unattainable standards should not dominate billboards and screens as representations of what people should strive to look like. As trends evolve and beauty standards shift, dissatisfaction has been correlated with issues such as depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. The popularity of social media will continue to shape and redefine standards of body image.

In conclusion, while society's beauty ideals have evolved over centuries, the modern era's instantaneous and pervasive media exposure has intensified the pressure to adhere to unrealistic standards. This pressure, exacerbated by the manipulative portrayal of bodies in the media, has a profound impact on body image and self-esteem, leading to a range of psychological and physical health issues. As we move forward, it is crucial for individuals and society as a whole to challenge these narrow ideals, celebrate diverse body types, and promote a more inclusive and supportive environment where beauty is not defined by external standards but by self-acceptance and authenticity.

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