Some of the recent research has proven that people who are active on social media or frequently used Instagram often face the problems of body shaming and body image. They become more prone to the risk of criticism as others share body-shaming comments, by looking at their pictures. When we talk of body-shaming, it is very common nowadays on social media. It is an everyday affair that develops the risk of being targeted by someone else’s comments. Today’s society view is concerned with “thin and beautiful” and the people who don’t fit into this frame due to their appearance may be overweight or too skinny often become a victim of body shaming.
Instagram does not promote such acts or practices and so it has announced a policy to remove or block content that motivates youngsters to follow cosmetics procedures or weight loss activities. According to this policy followers under 18 are blocked and restricted from watching posts that promote weight loss products or procedures to improve skin tone etc. Contents will be removed from the stage or not be allowed. The new policy has reduced the pressure of ongoing work and has made Instagram a positive place for all users. As reported by Instagram’s public policy manager this change will take place on Facebook too. The new change allows the users to report every post under the app limits and should not violate the policy.
The post will be appropriately actioned and reviewed by the concerned app’s team of content readers. The new policy change has helped Instagram influencers become more responsible. Some other Instagram tools rolled out recently have not only helped manage time but also encouraged people to focus on the content they share instead of looking for the number of likes they get. This has made a lot of difference.
Social Media is a platform that connects people all around the world. It’s a stage where you can share your experiences, express your views, and ideas. But it has some negative effects when we talk about body shaming. In today’s time, most people are prone to this activity, when they receive negative and critical comments. Our society has set some beauty standards to match the molds but most of us fail to fit into them. Social media is a platform that has the power to mold the lives of young girls and women. Sometimes, it lays a negative effect on teenagers.
It not only helps in exposing youngsters to beauty standards but also forces them to follow womanhood or womanism ideas of being perfect. But studies have proven that the act of body shaming on social sites has contributed a lot to eating disorders, body dysmorphic disorders, anxiety, and depression among males and females both.
The latest research shows that people using Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest have body image or body-shaming problems.
- Body-shaming, a quick look:- Actually, body shaming is an act or practice of criticizing someone’s physical appearance with critical comments. This is an action of humiliating someone’s body faults like being overweight, thinning, hairiness, hair color, body shape, facial looks, and muscularity, etc. This activity causes young girls and women to feel shame and develop negativity within them. There are numerous followers on various platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, etc. All these sources of information and entertainment have their own impact on society. According to a survey women are greatly affected by social media. It’s making women adopt unhealthy ways to fight overweight and maintain good looks.
Demerits:-
- Sizeism is very prevalent among women irrespective of all ages. But there are no anti-discrimination laws to prohibit body shaming. It is believed that often fatty people are lazy and taller ones are good at playing basketball. However, it definitely has long term humiliating consequences.
- It is a painful experience for victims as they become the target on social media.
- Mocking and criticism tears down the self-respect of the victims due to their unique physical look.
- The judgment of being perfect or comparison with another person affects the mental health of the victim.
Ways to stop body shaming:-
Basically, one should never feel ashamed of his/her weight, body size/shape, or clothing size. Girls become more susceptible and depressing when they find that their own parents are passing negative comments. They become more conscious of their body shape. It’s very dangerous as such girls deserve much better. The cycle of fat-shaming should be stopped and Instagram is doing the favor. Apart, from this, there are some ways to fight body shaming.
- Enhancing literacy:- To overcome body-shaming social media is playing a crucial role. Enhancing School programs and marketing campaigns on social media platforms has reduced the negative effects of body shaming. Media literacy includes decoding and comprehension of the messages shared on social sites that have made a difference. The literacy programs focus on the methods people post and share their ideas on the internet.
- Counseling:- For people who think that they are not physically good to meet the standards set by society, individual counseling and some therapy sessions can work wonders. This will change the concept of body shaming in their minds and make them overcome psychological disorders. Cognitive-behavioral therapy will help them gain self-acceptance, empathy, and compassion. This is a cutting edge treatment to fight current problems among followers.
- Mindful meditation:- Hypnosis means loving your reflection is a method to throw out the negative feelings about yourself. It’s a way to release embarrassment and shame towards your body when you meditate to look into your inner reflection. It helps in developing confidence and understanding your image better. It creates a kind of self-respect, love, and appreciation for your own body and mind. It erases shame and takes away all the guilt. You learn to pay more attention to yourself and love your body the way it is.
- Balanced diet:- Nutrition is an important factor that enhances your fitness. A well-balanced diet and healthy eating can give you nutrients and calories to combat daily routine activities. You develop a sense of confidence and feel better for yourself through regular exercise.
Harmful effects:-
Body shaming is a practice that has negative emotional effects, which can further lead to issues like anxiety, a decline in self-respect, eating disorders, depression, and body dysmorphia. When people feel that their body is unable to meet the views of society, body-shaming can have serious consequences. As the scope is very wide and includes tattoos shaming, psoriasis, or piercing marks. In most cases, people follow the tips displayed on social media to lose weight by no exercise and less eating. And they become a victim of cyberbullying and harassment on the platform. People with overweight are more prone to depression and mental problems. Weight Discrimination can lead to the risk of suicide as the victim suffer psychologically and physically.
Young girls, boys, men, and women all are surrounded by posts on social media that display unrealistic body types and they want to become like them. Models, athletics, and players displayed in magazines influence these people of society and motivate them to lose weight, increase height, and build up muscles, which is really painful and sad. It has been proven that most people are expected to look attractive and fit by following celebrities and models. This all leads to various disorders and has harmful effects on the health of the victims.
Conclusion: Body-shaming is very prevalent on social media. It’s an everyday thing for most of the models. But it can be exhausting sometimes. Instagram is a platform where people share modeling shots, selfies, eating tips, and fitness posts. And they get horrible feedback every day. Many receive critical comments relating to physical appearance, which can cause various mental and emotional disorders. Hence, when you need to buy Instagram followers your critics may not cooperate due to your unrealistic approach. Instagram is a platform that entertains only positive posts for its users according to the new policy. Therefore it does not promote any kind of body-shaming.
