Body image has been a part of and impacted society for as long as humanity has existed. Younger people and females especially seem to be impacted by issues related to the disruption of a healthy body image. This can occur for several reasons and be partially due to the workings of social media and other social constructs that exist within contemporary societies.
- Body image and disruptions of it have been seen to have a direct correlation to social media and its inner workings
- “…women in particular can experience considerable pressure to maintain a bodily aesthetic that appears healthy and is also consistent with the cultural ideal…” (Monks et al.)
- “Disruptions in body image, referred to as body image disturbance (BID), are seen in all aspects of the body experience…” (Sandoz et al.)
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Body image and disruptions of it have been seen to have a direct correlation to social media and its inner workings
“Unique interactional features of the social media environment may pose specific risks to body image, such as the viewing of appearance-related comments that accompany Instagram images…and the number of ‘likes’…” (Monks et al.)
There are some notable connections between BID issues and psychological factors, which I learned about in General Psychology. Psychology looks not only at the brain and its inner workings but also societal impacts. That course helped me better understand the mental implications behind BID, which I further researched in this course.
“…beautiful is the same as thin…” (Sandoz et al.)
-Example of an unhelpful social norm-
Connections to Symbolic Interactionism. This theory focuses especially on interpersonal relations and how these things contribute to and create larger social patterns and concepts.
BID can affect everyone, regardless of any factor. It is something that should be taken note of regarding how society will continue to function well or not.
A healthy body image helps create the foundations of a healthy life, both mentally and psychologically. Society can greatly benefit from extra awareness of this, what can cause problems for it, why, and how to combat it, on which much research has already been done.
References:
Monks, Helen, et al. “‘We’re Continually Comparing Ourselves to Something’: Navigating Body Image, Media, and Social Media Ideals at the Nexus of Appearance, Health, and Wellness.” Sex Roles, vol. 84, no. 3/4, pp. 221-37. Social Sciences Full Text, libdb.ppcc.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx. Accessed 5 Nov. 2021.
