COLUMN: Social media is heavily responsible for body image.

The effect of rehabilitation education through social media on the quality of life in burn patients: a randomized, controlled, clinical trial. Citation metadata

Body Language: How social media can trigger body issues--and what dancers can do to protect themselves from developing a distorted self-image Citation metadata

The effects of advertising on body image have been studied by researchers, ranging from psychologists to marketing professionals.

Reader Idea | Teaching and Learning About Body Image in the Social Media Age

Before the rise of social media, teenagers could reasonably avoid the barrage of body negativity, but now, it’s inevitable. There is more pressure than ever for teenagers to always look “perfect.”

Mr. Diesel, the actor in the “Fast and Furious” series, posted a response to the accusation he had a “dad bod” on his feed over the weekend, writing, “Body-shaming is always wrong!” He then followed up with a shot flashing his (pretty pronounced) abs.

The Body Image Movement (BIM)

LISTEN TO YOUR BODY, LEARN, AND THRIVE.

Body image refers to how individuals think and feel about their bodies, and whether perceptions about whether their bodies are evaluated favorably by others (Girls Health, n.d). Society and mass media constantly bombard us with images that idealize a certain body type, especially for women. These unrealistic images often cause young individuals to have a conflicted relationship with their bodies. Many people across the world engage in diets or extensive exercise regimens with the aim of achieving a certain body type - and some of these individuals also unfortunately develop eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia nervosa (NEDA, 2018). In extreme cases, individuals may undergo cosmetic procedures to achieve their desired body type. Adding to this problem is a culture in which images of celebrities and influencers commonly promote diet and weight loss products while their own images are professionally edited to perfection (Sharma, 2019).

New Social Media Features Support Users With Eating Disorders

Social media networks add new features and resources aimed at eating disorders

Social Media Can Increase Risk Of Eating Disorders And Negative Body Image

A new study reveals how social media use could affect the self-perceived body image of young women.

The Effects of Social Media on Body Image and Mental Health

Although it can have a positive effect on the mental health of some of its users, early research for the most part indicates that social media negatively affects people’s perception of their body image.

That being said, using social media does appear to be correlated with body image concerns. A systematic review of 20 papers published in 2016 found that photo-based activities, like scrolling through Instagram or posting pictures of yourself, were a particular problem when it came to negative thoughts about your body.