Social media is incredible. It provides us with so many tools, resources, ideas, connections, inspiration,… but when manipulated a certain way, it also has power to negatively impact us.

#thinspiration #fitspo #thighgap #flatstomach #goals #bikinibody #booty

I see myself as healthy with a good appearance, but as I scroll through Instagram and Tumblr and see all these edited images of people, I cannot help but have insecure thoughts.

Photoshopped, slimmed, shaded

With the rise of highly visual social platforms, it’s become harder to resist images that indirectly lead us to certain thoughts. So many Instagram accounts filled with perfect images of people or images of 100-calorie diet plates have become idolized by millions of followers. Many women in particular have been fed unrealistic expectations for their bodies, leading to triggering thoughts related to binge-eating, anorexia, bulimia, orthorexia, etc. To my disgust, some companies have even preyed on individuals’ insecurities to sell diet products and body-slimming gear.

I have to remind myself time and time again that living a healthy lifestyle, listening to my body, and taking care of my mental well-being are far more important than trying to mold my body to a certain external appearance. So my challenge for companies today is: how will you sell your products? Will you drive positive change in society, or will you put people down?