My view

     The internet is a beautiful invention. We have access to all the information we want, we never get lost thanks to online maps, and we can communicate with someone on the other side of the world. However just like with most things, there are some cons. With social media use at its peak, it is a passionate debate whether it is causing more harm than good. One of the strongest arguments against social media, Instagram in particular, is the mental toll it takes on young teens. Instagram has become an app full of fake pictures and lives, that do not represent people’s reality. The biggest concern is that it causes is poor body image in young girls. 

     It is a double-edged sword because a girl can post a picture to feel better about herself, but at the same time she opens her feed and starts comparing herself to other girls. It can create an infinite loop. According to the King University, “87% of women and 65% of men compare their bodies to images they consume on social and traditional media” (“Link between”, 2019). The problem can go beyond feelings and can lead to actions, like eating disorders. A study by PubMed revealed that “using platforms such as Facebook and Instagram has been particularly associated with a higher body dissatisfaction and the appearance of ED symptoms” (Jiotsa et al, 2021). Eating disorders are very serious and hard to recover from, and even after they can still linger. It is also dangerous because sometimes it is hard to notice it. “Eating disordered thoughts often take control slowly and you may not realize what is happening until you are seriously struggling physically, emotionally, and psychologically” (“Why is it”, 2021). Even if it does not escalate into an eating disorder, it can seriously affect self-confidence which leads to people closing up, losing their social life, and falling into depression. 

     Therefore, it is so important to teach media literacy. It educates young teens not only about how to safely use the media, but also how to consume it. The media does not have to be considered so harmful if we all know how to co-exist with it. With Instagram specifically, teens should be taught how easy it is to alter your body or face with today’s filters and third-party editing apps. Also put emphasis on plastic surgery and how common it is nowadays. Not only surgery but also small procedures such as lip fillers or Botox. The goal is not to shame people that do it but understand why they do and recognize it. The truth is the people that got plastic surgery also got it because they were insecure and succumbed to the pressure. They are as human as any other person. But it becomes a problem when they try to pass their face and body as natural, because then it sets unrealistic standards to everyone else. Some things just cannot be achieved naturally, and people should not feel bad for it. 

     This is a problem that is not going to be solved very easily or quickly, so it is suggested for people to follow pages that promote healthy standards or pages that are not related to people at all. Follow animal pages instead, and you will get your daily serotonin intake. Also stay mindful of how Instagram and people work and realize there is only one of you and you should not be spending your type trying to be someone else. 

References:

Jiotsa, B., Naccache, B., Duval, M., Rocher, B., & Grall-Bronnec, M. (2021). Social media use and body image disorders: Association between frequency of comparing one’s own physical appearance to that of people being followed on social media and body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness. International  Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(6), 2880. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18062880 

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

Why is it so hard to recover from an eating disorder? MHA Screening. (2021). https://screening.mhanational.org/content/why-it-so-hard-recover-eating-disorder/