What the experts say I

An article by the King University written in 2019 talked about how social media affects body image, both negatively and positively. The positive was "health and wellness, fitness, and plant-based food accounts can all be inspirational models for some users. Through these frameworks, social media users can maintain a healthy and positive outlook on their body image" ("Link between", 2019). That can definitely be true, and I do encourage all my viewers to check out those kind of pages.

However, this blog focuses more on other types of instagram pages, where a certain standard is pushed. That leads us to the negatives. A study conducted by the Florida House Experience, which is a healthcare institution, found that "87% of women and 65% of men compare their bodies to images they consume on social and traditional media. In that comparison, a stunning 50% of women and 37% of men compare their bodies unfavorably" ("Link between", 2019). They also mention how social media can trigger eating disorders or certain predisposed psychological issues.

At the end of the article, they provided readers with some advise. BBC said to put down our phones, however they understood that is pretty hard in this generation so they also suggested to "CHANGE THE FOCUS OF THEIR FEEDS and followers. Rather than following celebrities with heavily edited photos, “finding inspiring landscapes, delicious food, and cute dogs to fill your Instagram feed might just help you remember there’s more to life than what you look like” ("Link between, 2019).

Personally my instagram explore page is filled with cats, obscure memes, and I do not follow any models or clothing brands and I can say it has definitely made my experience more pleasant.

Reference:

Link between social media & body image. King University Online. (2019). https://online.king.edu/news/social-media-and-body-image/