By Justice Seay
The Eagle’s Eye
Eisenhower HS
Post after post, like after like, teens find themselves submerged in a digital ocean of celebrities, selfies and gossip; but with each scroll past a model’s mirror selfie, a video detailing ‘what I eat in a day’ or a tabloid article about Billie Eilish wearing a tank top, social media users feel overwhelmed by the exploitation and judgment towards bodies normalized in today’s virtual world.
“I see people affected by triggering posts all the time. All over TikTok, people turn their comments off because people are rude. It’s easier to not hide aggression over the Internet. I’ve deleted posts that have gotten a little negative feedback, just so I didn’t have to look at it anymore,” senior Hannah Blank said.
Social media consistently correlates with a negative body image and that association will likely increase with time, according to the School of Psychology at UNSW Australia. The main factor causing the correlation: appearance comparisons. Along the same lines, it was found people tend to selectively post images in which they look thinner or more distorted, as compared to their normal body shape, according to a University of Pittsburgh study.
“It is only natural to compare yourself to the
world around you. Our present situation is that we are spending more and more time looking at images on social media, rather than the real ‘live’ world we
are living in. If you are comparing yourself to a two- dimensional image that was filtered to look a certain way, it isn’t really a fair comparison,” counselor Lindsey Dunn said.
It’s no secret with the obsession of physical appearance so prevalent in the digital world social media impacts how users perceive themselves—and more specifically their bodies. The longer an individual spent on a social media app, the more likely they were to experience issues with eating disorders and body image, according to a University of Pittsburgh study.
“My personal opinion is that social media has created a lot of insecurity,” Dunn said. “Body image is just one example. If you open Instagram and see people your age doing things together and you are not there, you don’t have those friends or you don’t have that car or those shoes, it drops a seed of insecurity. One little seed isn’t so bad but when it happens over and over again, day after day, it builds up. Before you know it, you feel bad about yourself and you don’t even know why. Use social media cautiously. If you understand the ways it can manipulate you, hopefully you will turn it off when you recognize it happening.”
Aside from self-perception, by posting on social media, users face the possibility of judgment from others in the form of likes, comments and shares. The amount of attention a post brings may make one feel insecure if it’s less than
they hoped for.
“Using social media makes me double check things a lot more,” Blank said. “Days or weeks after I post something, I always go back and look at it, find new mistakes— things I’m self conscious about. The amount of likes and comments definitely has an impact as well. I feel better when a post gets more likes. Comparing the amount of likes I get versus others is another way I judge myself.”
Social media often serves as an outlet for sharing of ideas, opinions and much more. However, the openness becomes a double-edged sword when abused by those whose purpose is to harm or trigger others. Despite attempts at content reviewing and restriction from app administrators, certain harmful posts manage to make their way to viewers screens.
“Twitter and Snapchat seem to be the best at avoiding harmful content. Instagram only shows your best moments. TikTok is so widespread and always has something new. Twitter and Snapchat live life in the moment. They seem more real and have human connection. Snapchat is definitely more casual than Instagram for photo sharing,” Blank said.
In addition to a lack of content filtering, social media apps often track what type of content users interact with. If the app identifies a pattern based on what a user likes, comments on and follows, it will begin to push more of that content onto their pages. Though the intention is to curate a feed based on personal interests, it can also give even more attention to harmful or triggering posts.
“Social media is a great place to connect with friends, but it is an advertising mega warehouse,” Dunn said. “What you are reading and seeing on social media, especially from a famous TikToker, celebrity or Instagram influencer, is being paid for by a company. They are trying to sell you something. People become
famous on social media by posting about their favorite new designer, who is paying them to say that; or the great new diet they found, which they are being paid
to endorse. Additionally, if Instagram knows you are looking at celebrities and their diet plans, Instagram will suggest other diet plans to you. Why? Because they make money when you look at the post. Pay attention to your news feed and suggested ads
on social media. If you understand that they are selling you something as opposed to suggesting something helpful, they will lose their appeal. The best way to care for your body is through a healthy diet and exercise. Any suggestion otherwise will lead you down a dangerous cycle of yo-yo diets.”
Despite an influx of triggering content appearing on their ‘For You’ page, some individuals feel hesitant to delete these apps due to how widespread social media has become in daily life.
“While most of us won’t be saying goodbye to Instagram anytime soon, there are steps we can take to reduce negative exposure to images. First, replace #fitspo searches with #bodypositive, #edwarrior, and #recovery hashtags. Second, follow accounts like NEDA, Body Posi Panda, and Nourish and Eat, which post body-positive and pro-recovery content. Third, remind yourself that Instagram often showcases people’s highlights reel, and doesn’t necessarily reflect their everyday lives. You are who you are, and that should be celebrated,” according to National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA).
Stopping interactions with harmful posts seems to be the most effective way to avoid seeing triggers. If one feels they can’t stop viewing these posts, they may need further assistance and support.
“If you catch yourself looking at posts about diet and exercise, you will see more of them in your news feed,” Dunn said. “The best way to stop it is to stop looking. But how do you do that when it is there every time you open your phone? If you find you cannot ignore the messages on social media, you may need
to talk to a professional about your unhealthy body
image and self-esteem. If you are struggling with body image, I recommend you talk to a parent, trusted adult or your counselor. We can help you get in touch with
a professional therapist who works with students with eating disorders, body dysmorphic disorder and self- esteem.”
Stopping viewing of harmful content, selective content filtering—such as blocking certain accounts and muting triggering words—prevents any unwanted content pushes from the app itself. This allows users to not only keep their profiles, but use them beneficially for motivation and inspiration to spread body positivity.
“I see posts related to body image all the time, mainly empowering photos because that’s what I like. I follow a lot of feminist accounts on Instagram, so my feed is filled with empowering photos and such. I like seeing them; they help me gain confidence,” Blank said.
Filling feeds with posts encouraging body positivity, along with other types of content that correspond with personal interests and hobbies is a way to promote self- growth.
“Social media is not going away and I realize it is unreasonable to tell you to stop looking at it,” Dunn Illustration Genevieve Davis said. “If you understand how social media may be manipulating the way you see yourself and the world around you, it will be the first step toward changing your self-image. Start looking for organizations that support things that are important to you. Look for a running club in the area and join other people who want to live a healthy lifestyle, so they can look and feel good about themselves. If you like to garden, if you like to read, if you like music, search for those posts. If you fill your Instagram feed with things that make you feel good about yourself and you enjoy, it can be something you look forward to looking at.”
Achieving a trigger-free social media feed at all is unlikely given the large amount of daily posts. Working on self-esteem and confidence, instead of interacting with negative social media posts, shifts focus from harmful to beneficial.
“There’s no easy way to say, ‘well, don’t view yourself poorly,’” Blank said. “We’re raised in a judgmental world. Nothing is going to change that. Just focus on yourself and what makes you truly happy. You’re never going to be 100 percent confident. Those moments when you are, embrace it.”
1st Place
Division 1, News Writing
NW-11. In-Depth Feature
The entry should be a single story. Judges will not consider sidebars, infographics or other elements packaged with the story. The story must stand on its own. Entries should concern subjects of a substantive and contemporary nature and go beyond the surface facts, give the reader detailed background information with interpretation based upon the facts and background information and often (but not necessarily) an analysis as to its meaning. It is an elaboration of the WHY. Multiple sources are necessary. Submit a PDF of the print page(s) on which the story was published or the URL to the story on an online news site.
JUDGING CRITERIA
- Lead captures attention, arouses curiosity
- Topic relevant to interests and/or welfare of school or students
- Extensive, intensive and thorough investigation
- Effectively combines basics of good news and feature writing
- Effectively organized with smooth transitions; carefully outlined
- Sentences, paragraphs of varied length; written clearly, concisely and vividly
- Proper diction/grammar
- Balanced and fair presentation
- Story relies on information from primary sources gathered/interviewed directly by the journalist(s); general Internet sources and secondary media reports are used sparingly