Introduction
Living in a present-day society means following its trends, which are frequently completely irrational and, what is more important, harmful to young people. One of them is the establishment of beauty standards and their fast development, which is conditional upon the involvement of social media platforms, such as Instagram or Twitter. This phenomenon leads to body shaming as a response to one’s unwillingness or inability to adjust to these imaginary rules. As a result, individuals begin to suffer from low self-esteem, which adversely affects their functioning as citizens, whereas highlighting their uniqueness might have the opposite outcome. Therefore, the best solution for eliminating the unrealistic expectations for one’s looks is the emphasis on body positivity, which can contribute to a shift from the need to conform to self-appreciation regardless of external factors.
Adverse Trends in Social Media and Their Impact
The mentioned adverse trends in social media are connected to the erroneous perceptions of individuality by people. They are especially critical for adolescents who pay particular attention to their appearance in their pursuit of being unique compared to their families or friends. However, the failure to follow the instilled standards leads to their dissatisfaction with their bodies, which complicates the already challenging process of pubertal adjustment (Gam et al. 1325). In this case, the problem is in the fact that common views on beauty do not correlate with individuality, as it might seem to youngsters. Consequently, their distorted understanding of this aspect and the desire to express themselves are in conflict. In addition, all teenagers are susceptible to body shaming stemming from non-compliance with ideals, and children from prosperous families struggle as much as their less fortunate peers. Therefore, a change is required for ensuring their mental health and well-being in the future.
Another circumstance contributing to the negative impact of beauty standards in social media on people’s lives is the increased possibility of personal conflicts, which emerge on these grounds. It can be dangerous for the socialization of young citizens and disrupt the process of their personality formation, which, in turn, will result in their inability to find their place in life (Martínez-González et al. 6630). Even though the creation of the desired image is a necessary task for everyone, it should not be based on any rules other than the freedom of self-expression and the emphasis on individuality. In this situation, body positivity seems an excellent solution since it corresponds to the above provisions. Thus, the described problems, which are the inability to distinguish between irrational standards and individuality and the issues with one’s image, are the basis of why body-shaming is a negative phenomenon in society.
Body Positivity as an Optimal Solution
The significance of body positivity for addressing the challenges describes above can be explained by its capability to resist the influence of irrational beauty standards. The latter is well-developed and widely supported by social media, which means that they can be overcome only through a movement, which is efficient and publicly known. At present, there are no other alternatives except for the introduction of body positivity for this purpose, and this conclusion is supported by scholars. Thus, for example, they claim that listening to body-positive music adds to women’s self-esteem, whereas the preference for appearance-related songs has the opposite effect (Coyne et al. 5). These findings indicate the effectiveness of the selected approach in changing the stereotypes, which are proved to be harmful to young people. Therefore, the emphasis on cultural products reflecting individuality rather than the need to conform to beauty standards might eliminate the risks of body shaming.
Moreover, the attitudes of individuals towards appearance and the appropriateness of specific trends are frequently transmitted through popular types of physical activity, which should also be addressed with regard to the principles of body positivity. According to Pickett and Cunningham, the introduction of body-positive yoga is one of the methods, which can be suitable for this objective (336). It contributes to the creation of inclusive physical activity spaces based on people’s individuality rather than shared standards and body shaming for non-compliance with them (Pickett and Cunningham 336). In this way, this aspect of human life can be viewed as one of the most influential areas, which should be highlighted by facilities providing similar services to the population. Their focus on the promotion of acceptance and individuality of visitors is beneficial for the formation of a positive body image. It also adds to the fact that the shift in attitudes can resolve the issues emerging due to the spread of unrealistic standards.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the introduction of body positivity practices in societal institutions can help eliminate the risks of low self-esteem for young people, which emerge due to beauty standards and body shaming. This population group is especially vulnerable due to their desire to be unique and the dissatisfaction following the impossibility to fulfill it at the time of their personality formation. As a result, they are guided by erroneous perceptions, which worsen their self-esteem and the efficiency of their communication with peers. Meanwhile, body positivity in different areas, such as music or physical activity, was reported to be advantageous for addressing the mentioned problems. Therefore, it should be emphasized by facilities providing services for the population.
Works Cited
Coyne, Sarah, et al. “Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: The Effect of Listening to Body Positive Music on Implicit and Explicit Body Esteem.” Psychology of Popular Media, vol. 10, no. 1, 2021, pp. 2–13. doi: 10.1037/ppm0000273.
Gam, Rahul Taye et al. “Body Shaming among School-Going Adolescents: Prevalence and Predictors.” International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health, vol. 7., no. 4, 2020, pp. 1324–1328. doi: 10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20201075.
Martínez-González, Marina, et al. “Women Facing Psychological Abuse: How Do They Respond to Maternal Identity Humiliation and Body Shaming?” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021, vol. 18, no, 12, pp. 6627–6644. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18126627.
Pickett, Andrew, and George Cunningham. “Creating Inclusive Physical Activity Spaces: The Case of Body-Positive Yoga.” Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, vol. 88, no. 3., 2016, pp. 329–338. doi: 10.1080/02701367.2017.1335851.