Class
Article
College
Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services
Department
English Department
Faculty Mentor
Cree Taylor
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Abstract
Social media has created unrealistic standards of what a woman should look like through posts, videos, or ads. Research has shown that social media influences body image and poor self-esteem. Social media is known for being a platform where you can share posts that can include photos of yourself. The problem: Since women are affected by body image because of social media, they don’t feel confident in being able to share photos of themselves. Instead, they resort to long periods of scrolling through other posts and fall victim to social comparison. This project seeks to answer the question as to whether social media has increased body dissatisfaction in women by portraying uncommon body types, deemed “normal”. Research was conducted using an online database and evaluating primary and secondary sources. The majority of the sources used in this study drew upon first-hand accounts from women of different ages in interviews and blogs where they discuss their personal experiences. Through my research I found that social media does in fact have negative effects on women’s body image. Study and evaluation of sources indicated that, while social media can have negative effects, it can also be a source of motivation for some women to accept their body, or it can be the motivation a woman is looking for to begin/continue her workouts. Influencers on social media, members of the fashion industry, and celebrities need to recognize the power their social media accounts possess. They can use their social media platforms to create change and advocate for body normalization and increased representation of a variety of body types. Doing so will allow social media to be a tool to help women accept and appreciate their bodies, as well as build up their confidence to be involved in the social media world.
Location
Logan, UT
Start Date
4-8-2022 12:00 AM
Included in
Digital Beauty: Social Media and Body Image
Logan, UT
Social media has created unrealistic standards of what a woman should look like through posts, videos, or ads. Research has shown that social media influences body image and poor self-esteem. Social media is known for being a platform where you can share posts that can include photos of yourself. The problem: Since women are affected by body image because of social media, they don’t feel confident in being able to share photos of themselves. Instead, they resort to long periods of scrolling through other posts and fall victim to social comparison. This project seeks to answer the question as to whether social media has increased body dissatisfaction in women by portraying uncommon body types, deemed “normal”. Research was conducted using an online database and evaluating primary and secondary sources. The majority of the sources used in this study drew upon first-hand accounts from women of different ages in interviews and blogs where they discuss their personal experiences. Through my research I found that social media does in fact have negative effects on women’s body image. Study and evaluation of sources indicated that, while social media can have negative effects, it can also be a source of motivation for some women to accept their body, or it can be the motivation a woman is looking for to begin/continue her workouts. Influencers on social media, members of the fashion industry, and celebrities need to recognize the power their social media accounts possess. They can use their social media platforms to create change and advocate for body normalization and increased representation of a variety of body types. Doing so will allow social media to be a tool to help women accept and appreciate their bodies, as well as build up their confidence to be involved in the social media world.