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Body Image

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Body image is a mix of the thoughts and feelings that you have about your body. Body image can range from both positive and negative experiences, and a person’s view of their bodies can change based on comments made about it (Body Image, n.d.). 

Body Dysmorphia 

Body dysmorphia, or body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), is a mental health condition characterized by obsessive thoughts about the way you look. Often, people experiencing BDD are very focused on one or more flaws they believe they see in their appearance, leading to co-occurring conditions such as anxiety and depression.

 

According to Cleveland Clinic, symptoms of body dysmorphia include (How Social Media Can Harm Your Body Image, n.d.):

  • Anxiety that other people are staring at you or judging your appearance

  • Changing your appearance frequently

  • Compulsive grooming behaviors, such as picking at your skin

  • Constantly comparing your appearance to that of other people

  • Feeling shame about your appearance

  • Feeling that you need to constantly look at or check your appearance or avoid photos and mirrors altogether

  • Frequently using photo editing and filters to change your appearance in pictures

  • Repeated medical procedures and/or cosmetic surgery

  • Spending an excessive amount of time thinking about parts of your body you consider to be flawed

  • Thoughts of self-harm because of your appearance

Statistics 

  • 52%: 1 in 2 girls say toxic beauty advice on social media has caused them to develop low self-esteem (Toxic Beauty Standards on Social Media, n.d.).

  • 90%: 9 in 10 girls say they follow at least one social media account that makes them feel less beautiful (Toxic Beauty Standards on Social Media, n.d.).

  • 56%: Over half of girls say they can’t live up to the beauty standards projected on social media( Toxic Beauty Standards on Social Media, n.d.).

  • 40% of teens reported that content on social media caused them to worry about their image (The Link Between Social Media and Body Image Issues Among Youth in the United States, n.d.).

  • There is a connection between when kids receive their first phone (12–13) and the beginnings of Body Dysmorphic Disorder (also ages 12–13) (The Link Between Social Media and Body Image Issues Among Youth in the United States, n.d.).

  • Teens who have negative thoughts about their bodies are 2 times as likely to attempt or think about suicide than teens that do not have negative thoughts (The Link Between Social Media and Body Image Issues Among Youth in the United States, n.d.).

  • Over 7% of teens and young adults in the US are at risk for exercise addiction due to a high use of social media (The Link Between Social Media and Body Image Issues Among Youth in the United States, n.d.).

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has been shown to greatly reduce the negative effects caused by social media and assist in the healthy incorporation of media in the lives of youth in the US (The Link Between Social Media and Body Image Issues Among Youth in the United States, n.d.).

Practical Guidance

Reduce social media use:

  • Teens and young adults who have reduced their social media use by 50% for a few weeks saw significant improvement in how they felt about both their weight and their general appearance compared with others who continued to use social media at constant levels, according to research published by the American Psychological Association (Reducing Social Media Use Significantly Improves Body Image in Teens, Young Adults, n.d.).

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Acknowledge technology’s limitations in photos and videos:

  • Humans are 3D and that is how other people see you. Photos and videos are just a snapshot of you in time and are not necessarily accurate.

    • “Try to take digital data sources with a grain of salt,” Dr. Patrick Byrne, MD, advises (How Social Media Can Harm Your Body Image, n.d.).

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Embrace imperfections:

  • Only 2% of the global population has symmetrical faces. Furthermore, most people don’t actually remember or can identify details of other peoples faces. You are almost more certain to see the “wrong” things with yourself than anyone else (How Social Media Can Harm Your Body Image, n.d.).

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Self-love and acceptance:

  • Building a healthy self-image can mean many different things for different people. Body neutrality is a middle ground approach for self-love and acceptance that most people find themselves falling into when body positivity feels too challenging (How Social Media Can Harm Your Body Image, n.d.).

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Seek out help if needed:

  • At the end of the day, it isn’t about how you look but how you think you look. BDD is a mental health condition which means that it requires mental health treatment. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), is a type therapy that has shown to help people who are dealing with many different mental health conditions including BDD.

  • Reach out to those close to you including family, friends, school counsellors, and teachers if you find yourself struggling with body image or body dysmorphia. Your community is there to help (How Social Media Can Harm Your Body Image, n.d.).

Sources

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