Social media, in particular Instagram, has become an outlet for many different people to use for many different reasons. While there are some neutral or positive reasons for using Instagram, such as running an account for your dog, there are some ways this social media platform can result in negative repercussions. Many young and susceptible preteens and teenagers are discovering that the use of Instagram has a large effect on one’s body image concerns. Instagram has become a contributing factor to low self esteem which, in some extreme cases, can lead to eating disorders, body dysmorphia, or self enhancement procedures. So, my question is how does social media negatively affect teenagers. This is a very important topic because most of today’s
…show more content…
Since this disorder usually starts during adolescence, it is even more likely to affect teenagers who regularly use social media networks. In the academic essay “Does Media Type Matter? The Role of Identification in Adolescent Girls’ Media Consumption and the Impact of Different Thin-Ideal Media on Body Image” by Beth Bell, it is stated that “ The causal impact of thin ideal media on adolescent girls’ body dissatisfaction has been tested experimentally by comparing the effects of short term exposure to thin ideal images on state body dissatisfaction to that of neutral images or images of average sized models. Such experiments have consistently shown that thin ideal media have a negative impact on girls’ body dissatisfaction in comparison to a control group (Grabe et al. 2008; Groesz et al. 2002; Want 2009) (Bell 485).” Many people with BDD often compare what they perceive as their “flaws” to other people, making Instagram an easy trigger for them. Going back to the beginning of this essay, the idea of changing the way the layout of Instagram works would play a large part in this specific idea. If Instagram users were unable to find pictures based solely on hashtags or keywords, the amount of triggering pictures that people with BDD were exposed to would decrease. People mainly follow friends, family, and celebrities on social media, so if they were exposed to mainly pictures of their friends and family, who are probably posting casual pictures, people with BDD would be comparing themselves to everyday, normal
Since this disorder usually starts during adolescence, it is even more likely to affect teenagers who regularly use social media networks. In the academic essay “Does Media Type Matter? The Role of Identification in Adolescent Girls’ Media Consumption and the Impact of Different Thin-Ideal Media on Body Image” by Beth Bell, it is stated that “ The causal impact of thin ideal media on adolescent girls’ body dissatisfaction has been tested experimentally by comparing the effects of short term exposure to thin ideal images on state body dissatisfaction to that of neutral images or images of average sized models. Such experiments have consistently shown that thin ideal media have a negative impact on girls’ body dissatisfaction in comparison to a control group (Grabe et al. 2008; Groesz et al. 2002; Want 2009) (Bell 485).” Many people with BDD often compare what they perceive as their “flaws” to other people, making Instagram an easy trigger for them. Going back to the beginning of this essay, the idea of changing the way the layout of Instagram works would play a large part in this specific idea. If Instagram users were unable to find pictures based solely on hashtags or keywords, the amount of triggering pictures that people with BDD were exposed to would decrease. People mainly follow friends, family, and celebrities on social media, so if they were exposed to mainly pictures of their friends and family, who are probably posting casual pictures, people with BDD would be comparing themselves to everyday, normal