Toxic Mirror
Have you ever felt self-conscious or ashamed about your body after scrolling through Instagram or TikTok? Have you ever walked away from social media believing that your body isn’t good enough and has to change?
Social media has given us a whole new arena in which to evaluate our bodies. Now that social media has been around for some time, we are learning more and more about how much it negatively affects people’s body image.
We have a biological drive for social belonging
Social media apps are designed to capitalize on this drive
We have a biological drive for social belonging. Social media apps are designed to capitalize on this drive. But the highlight reels of people’s lives and unachievable standards social media says to live up to make it virtually impossible for us to belong the way that we are and accept our bodies the way they are.
If you feel exhausted from striving to achieve an ideal body type that’s simply unattainable, or if you feel ashamed because you have a particular body type, there are some things you can do!
Here are a few ways to get rid of the toxicity in your social media use and start to build a positive body image:
First, you have to kill the comparison.
So much of the problems associated with social media and body image are rooted in comparison. When we scroll through social media, we compare our bodies to the ones we see on our screens. Comparison is robbing us of the ability to appreciate our body and everything it can do. Comparison makes us focus on what we do not have. We must realize and accept that social media is not a reality. We are killing ourselves trying to achieve something that is literally unachievable.
Next, present yourself honestly and authentically on social media platforms and do your best to follow others who do the same.
There is so much pressure to present the “perfect body” that when we present ourselves as vulnerable and unfiltered, the experience might be scary initially, but relief soon follows. If we are intentional about seeking out authenticity and honesty, what we will find is that we all have bad days, body insecurities, pimples, cellulite, etc.!
Third, stop giving appearance so much importance.
How we look is just a small part of who we are. Social media tries to convince us that our self-worth is inextricably tied to how we look. This is a lie! How worthwhile you are as a person has nothing to do with the way you look. Are there ways we could give our time and attention to things that we enjoy that have nothing to do with how we look?
Lastly, pay attention to your feelings.
Many comparisons are unconscious, so monitor your emotions while scrolling social media. If you notice you’re often feeling down, insecure, and anxious while you scroll it might be worth making some changes to your social media use.
Changing social media habits can be a difficult task, but sacrificing your mental health and body image to try to live up to the standards set by social media is not worth it.
