How many times have you heard from your friends and family (doubt, are they the real ones?) that you look so fat, so dark, so short, unwantedly tall. And you are like, “Oh god just give me a break!” We have grown up listening and absorbing these displeasing comments which ideally should not affect us but the sad part is that they do. In most cases they touch the deepest core of our hearts, completely fragmenting it into billion pieces.
The dive of our beloved social media into the whole aspect has brought forward many stigmas, in some cases erasing them, while in others carving them, deep inside us. The notions of an ideal body image, the idea to always be perfect, knowing the fact that it is not possible. While scrolling through social media we see how these filtered, edited and highly lavish posts in the form of photographs and video make us uncomfortable with our bodies.
Media has crept so well and so deep into our mindsets that we have categorised the idea of how we should look or what should be the beauty standards or the body image through its catalogue. Feeling unsatisfied, sad, depressed because you don’t have the right weight, height or colour shade.
But who decided that for you?
The filters and editing softwares? The society? And don’t tell me that it was your real friends and family. (pun intended)
We think we are simply scrolling through these media platforms but research has found that while we interact with these posts and absorb the content, these make an impact on our self-perception. Somewhere down the line, we all know that we seek to be “perfect” with an ideal body without scars, but with toned skin, right height and slim all the way. The sad part is that this idealism comes from things that are not real.
There have been many cases where teenagers who are most concerned about their looks and body posture, get caught by eating disorders like Anorexia Nervosa, wherein they feel they are highly overweight. They start avoiding food to get into the ideal shape.
They feel it because they see in advertisements and media platforms that beauty is all about being slim. We all saw the “Fair and Lovely” advertisement about a magical face cream that can tone your skin down to two shades because that is how you will look beautiful.
Media through ads and other networks has tried to change the meaning of beauty with the shallowness created by society. We have grown up with this frivolous conception of considering everything different from the beauty standards on social media, magazine covers and advertisements as ugly. This needs to stop. We need to embrace the beauty of every kind.
Is Social Media Promoting Body Positivity Or Negativity?
Social media is with us almost every second of our day. We are using our phones, laptops and desktops to read post and share the content of our choice. In the same way, we have the choice to distinguish between what to absorb and what to ignore. Social media is a platform that presents an amalgamation of rights and wrongs, all of which depend on how one perceives these ideas.
We have to make the right choice in choosing the content we wish to imbibe. The idea is to understand that like everything social media also has another side to it. Content creators, writers and bloggers also try to take up social issues which need our attention.
There are people and communities who are continuously working towards making a positive change in society. There are accounts and groups which promote body positive content and seek to accept and appreciate all body types and encourage people towards the same goal.
What Is Body Positivity And How Can We Achieve It?
After a prolonged discussion, let us understand the meaning of body positivity. The definition says that it refers to the assertion that all people deserve to have a positive body image, regardless of how society and popular culture view ideal shape, size and appearance.
In simple words, we can say that body positivity is respecting and accepting every body type. Most importantly feeling confident and proud of your physical identity.
We live in a society where people may have beliefs and opinions that might be contrasting from ours. We cannot change theirs but can stand to affirm to what we believe in. Every person is unique, with a varied mindset, perspectives and a totally different inner self and physical built.
In a world full of diversity, it’s our foolishness to make everyone perfect and ideal as per our own standards. Beauty is a sparkle we all possess; imperfections make you unique and amazing.
Body positivity will start when you feel beautiful and amazing for what you are. So, from now onwards tell yourselves you are a wonderful and magnificent human who doesn’t require the road map for a perfect body structure because you already have it.
Perfection is not a benchmark that someone else will decide for you. Take that charge and love yourself for who you are!