Inspired by Ritu’s post concerning our addictions to selfies and posting photos of everything around us, including ourselves, this article was posted on the BBC and accessed on my mobile BBC app. This is an issue that concerns me greatly as I have two young daughters who will both, sooner rather than later, be exposed to this concerning social trend. The selfie obsession and Instagram standard expectations has always struck me as a particularly narcissistic and unnecessary part of our current culture and I would like to find a way to steer my daughters and all young people away from it. This article was really interesting in that it talks about how many more positive and realistic body images are now being posted but the fact that we are still focusing on body image, whether it is to a highly ridiculous standard of perfection or a more realistic and compassionate viewpoint, we are still focusing on our bodies rather than our skills, personalities and talents.
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190311-how-social-media-affects-body-image
Thank you very much for raising this sensitive topic, Louisa! I cannot really advise anything, but I guess it’s like with disability – we should be aware of this problem to be better prepared. I hope your daughters will treat social media without obsession. I suppose if our real life is full of meaningful events, then we are less dependent on online entertainment, don’t you think? Can you keep them busy enough for that? Regards, Anna
For the last few years, I have taught health to students in the grade 5-9 range. My strategy when it comes to body image is to focus on the health related aspects, and the advantages of different body types. I explain to my students that I exercise and eat in a way that allows me to do the things that I want to do: skiing, biking, swimming, hiking, etc. Many people don’t feel the same way, but still want to be able to enjoy themselves, to walk around a mall without losing their breath, to play with their kids or grandkids.
There are significant health risks that come along with a sedentary lifestyle, but also with an extremely active lifestyle. Athletes suffer increased strain on joints, damage to soft tissues, or even severe trauma from their sports. Legendary bodybuilder Ronnie Coleman (59) now is dependent on crutches or wheelchairs for mobility after failing to recognize and seek treatment for a herniated disk until it was too late.
Body image is a more complex topic than health, but approaching it from this way at least gets kids to ask the questions “what do I want to do with my body? Do I need to change in order to do that?” These questions stand a better chance of putting them on the side of social media that helps them achieve their goals.