How Social Media Fuels Body Image Issues in Teens and Adults

We’ve all been there. You’re scrolling through social media, you see some diet culture-y content, and the next thing you know, your body image issues are much louder than before you picked up your phone. 

While it’s normal to not necessarily love all of the parts of your body, social media seems to significantly exacerbate body image issues. When it comes down to it, most of the images that people post on social media platforms are not “real”. I mean, they start as real images, but what actually gets posted is often filtered, facetuned, or altered in some other way. Yet, we continue to let what is on other peoples’ pages dictate how we feel about ourselves. The truth is that social media can contribute to body image issues by promoting unrealistic beauty standards, encouraging comparison, and normalizing edited or filtered appearances.

Social Media and Visual Culture

There is no doubt that social media has transformed the Internet. As a Zillenial (young Millenial/old gen Z/what exactly am I?), I don’t really remember a time when social media wasn’t a thing. But, I’ve seen it change quite a lot during my lifetime. I remember when I was 13, and was so excited to make my first Facebook and MySpace accounts (wow, I feel aged 😅). Back then, social media was pretty text heavy. Sure, I posted the occasional cringy photo I snapped with my third generation iPhone. But, for the most part, my social media pages consisted of angsty teenage status updates. It wasn’t until I was in high school that things like Instagram, Snapchat, and Vine launched, and image-based social media really started to take over. Shortly after this came the introduction of filters, photo editing apps, and beauty-enhancing tools. While this seemed like a pretty cool way to connect and express ourselves as teenagers, image-based social media really cranked up the body image issues pressure cooker.

How Social Media Impacts Teens’ Body Image

If Erikson were here to weigh in on the impact of social media on body image issues in teens, I’m sure he would bring up their fragile stage of development. During these years, identity development and peer interaction are really important in terms of establishing a healthy sense of self. In order to learn who they are and what their place is in the world, teenagers compare themselves to their peers. This has always been a thing and is actually a normal process in human development. The problem is when teenagers use people on social media as data for identity development, they are setting themselves up for feeling less than. 

When we experience people in real life, we eventually get to see that there is good, bad, and ugly in everyone. When we “get to know” someone on social media, we are only getting to know a persona. On social media, we only see how that person chooses to portray themselves to the world. Yes, this can happen in real life as well. But, if you are comparing yourself to the popular girl at school, at least you have the opportunity to witness her humanity when she trips in the hall or stumbles on her words in class. If you are comparing yourself to influencers or celebrities on Instagram, your data points are carefully edited and filtered content designed to build a following. Even if they post some of the “bad stuff” to make their page more personable, you are still only seeing a curated version. This sets the bar early on for something humanely unattainable – perfection. No wonder things like body image issues, eating disorders, low self-esteem, and mood disorders commonly emerge during the teenage years.

Adults and Body Image in the Social Media Era

While social media pressure in adolescence is especially tricky, it doesn’t negate the fact that it often persists into adulthood. When we become adults, our social media accounts continue to be bombarded with diet culture, aging stigma, beauty filters, and tips to “bounce-back” after pregnancy. We may not be at a pivotal point in our identity development anymore, but we sure as heck want to feel like we belong. Even in adulthood, we are human. And, humans are wired for connection. We deeply desire to be seen, experienced, and loved through relationships with others. If it means fad dieting and applying anti-aging cream to get it, that is what you will find many of us doing. Alas, adults are not immune to filters, Facetune, and the illusion of perfection. 

Strategies to Combat Social Media-Driven Body Image Issues

Curate Your Feed

Take control of the algorithm and filter (no pun intended) what you see on your feed. There is a ton of content out there that could potentially be triggering for someone struggling with body image issues. But, there are also creators who intentionally create content to lift you up and shift your social media environment. Once you identify which accounts make you feel empowered, follow them. Likewise, unfollow accounts that post unhelpful content or trigger body image issues.

Seek Support

Challenging social media’s impact on body image issues is hard, but it is even harder to do it alone. Luckily, you are not the only one who is dealing with this, and there are a lot of people out there who want to change the landscape of social media. Try talking to friends about your experience, join a support group, become part of a community, or seek therapy if needed. If you are interested in working with me, you can check out the services that I offer or visit my contact page to schedule your free 15-minute consultation.

Practice Media Literacy

Media literacy is the ability to recognize editing, filters, and content that might be leading you astray. When it comes to social media, it can be easy to fall into that “sheep herd mentality”. But, it is important to remind yourself what is real and what is not. By practicing your media literacy and increasing healthy skepticism about things you see on the Internet, you can protect yourself from toxic content.

Set Healthy Boundaries

It can be easy to get lost in scrolling and end up spending way more time on social media than you had planned. For people struggling with body image issues, this means potentially consuming hours of triggering content. If you’ve already curated your feed, this should already be lessened. You can continue to minimize social media’s impact on your body image issues by introducing some healthy boundaries such as setting a daily limit for screen time, establishing screen-free zones in your home or office, and practicing mindful scrolling.

Promote Authenticity

Nothing is ever going to change in our society if we all just sit around and wait for it to happen. When we see something that is hurting others, it is important to be active participants in promoting change. The same is true for social media having a negative impact on body image issues. Experiment by being authentic on your feed, and notice how things shift. You can do this by avoiding the use of filters, sharing real-life moments, and being vulnerable with your audience.

Unfortunately, social media fueling body image issues is not an uncommon occurrence. This dynamic affects people of all ages, genders, and socioeconomic statuses. The good news is that we can push back. You can do this by taking control of your digital environment, changing the way you interact with content, and posting material that strives to shift the landscape of social media. Remember to give yourself compassion along the way, and don't try to do it alone.

If your body image issues have been impacted by social media, I can help. I am a somatic therapist who specializes in the treatment of body image issues, childhood trauma, and eating disorders. If you have any questions or would like to explore the idea of working together, please don't hesitate to reach out! I offer free, 15-minute consultation calls.

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