What Role Does Social Media Play In Moulding Attitudes

Magazines and television are often blamed for portraying an ideal body image that causes people to question their looks and lose confidence in themselves. But what about the role social media plays in moulding attitudes to the way we look? Social media networks are the primary way young people communicate and their main channel to the outside world An inquiry by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Body Image heard evidence that girls as young as five were worrying about their size and their appearance. MP Caroline Nokes was a member of the parliamentary group which, along with a number of charities, businesses and public bodies, is launching a campaign to change attitudes to body image, called Be Real: Body Confidence for Everyone. They understand, she says, because they go through the same process when they post images on social media sites. …show more content…
Social media has a huge effect on young people's body confidence, she explains, because it cannot be ignored. "They can make decisions not to look at magazines and TV, but social media networks are the primary way they communicate and their main channel to the outside world," she says. Dr Phillippa Diedrichs, senior research fellow at the University of West of England's Centre for Appearance Research, says research backs up the link between social media and body image concerns. She explains there is a tendency to seek out negative social interactions in these forums, and to ask people to comment on how you look, which can lead to body image anxieties. People using social media sites also tend to cultivate a persona, and even friends and a peer group, she adds. In her view, the answer to body anxiety is to showcase a more diverse range of bodies in the media because there is not just one way to be healthy or one ideal