by Natalie Dundas
Disclaimer: Other than the statistics and data, these are my opinions, and what I believe to be true.
I tire as I scroll through the endless feed. Girl after girl, body after body pass my fingertips, and I no longer sense my surroundings. I am engulfed by a world of false perfection, in which it becomes easy to strike cruel comparisons.
Yes, my favorite: social media. The stale topic of staying off screens is beyond most people now —and the same can be said about social media. When the world seems to be encapsulated in snapshots of projected perfection, it’s easy to forget how simple it is to stage; to rehearse; to edit; to crop; to redo. Whether it’s new to you or not, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and main media is a huge source of comparison of all kinds. When most of what’s demonstrated on platforms are the edited photos of what people wished their lives looked like, and it’s easy to forget that our eyes are seeing people rather than characters. Given the opportunity, you engineer what you wish you were like, behind clever captions and outfits.
Social Media’s Effects On Teenagers
Simply put, I am a child, and I believe that young children should not be exposed to harmful resources on the internet. While others are not responsible for what makes you feel insecure, it is vital to note that we should never glorify a certain body, style, or feeling. Regardless, I am a child with access to the internet, and most kids have social media, given that they have access. There is something so alluring to so many kids about the invisible matrix that others exist on. It is a strong force that manages to pull people in, and the tauntings of missing out on things that feel important, become louder. For example, TikTok is currently one of the largest social media platforms, with 18 million users aged 14 or younger, and 69% of users aged 10-29. To put this into perspective, the United States has about 100 million active users on TikTok per month. If you’re unfamiliar, the app functions similarly to Musical.ly, with a reel format. Videos range from 15-60 seconds, and correlate with the user’s interests via an algorithm that places videos similar to the ones the user has liked or favorited on their feed. Due to the fast-paced nature of the app, it’s easy to watch multiple videos in the span of a single minute, leading to exhaustion, overstimulation, and cheap dopamine highs. Due to the large number of users, it’s even harder for the platform to maintain its guidelines regarding sensitivity issues, such as nudity and graphic descriptions. To see the detailed and completed list of community guidelines created by TikTok, feel free to click the link below.
In summary, the app does not allow graphic, sexual, or violent behaviors. However, many trends on the app involve sexual behavior, such as twerking and “dirty” dances. This in itself is not a crime; however, it is extremely easy for young children to bypass the app’s minimum age requirement, and be exposed to such videos. While arguably worse things exist on the internet, this proves that the rules of social media are never properly enforced, a negligence which implies larger, unseen consequences for the future. Some might not treat it as a priority, but upholding rules of social media can create safer, and more playful spaces for apps and platforms marketed toward minors. Additionally, videos that promote the general glorification of drugs, mental illness, etc. However, one of the most prominent “flaws” within the app, and all social media for that matter, is the promotion of eating disorders and disordered eating.
Some examples:
1 :
The video above displays a young woman mouthing the words “...I wish that it was me.” Pretty self-explanatory.
2 :
Definitely an unhealthy expectation to have when starting, most likely a product of diet culture.
3:
Why does it matter? This post merely focuses on the appearance on body fat, and improperly judges the ranges of percentages. It is also focused within the stomach area, which is one of the most stigmatized region of the body.
4:
We are all beautiful, but someone shouldn't be proposing that 97 pounds is achievable nor healthy for an adult woman: it's ill, and it would be if he or she was severely overweight as well.
Diet And Exercise Culture On The Media
If you watched the last few videos, you might recognize trends centered around physical appearance, in response to society's standards. While most videos like these are made for the female audience, it is crucial to point out that men face significant pressure to look masculine and dominant, and stereotypically “feminine” male feelings often go unnoticed. In my opinion though, women ultimately face harsher scrutiny and sexulization because of society’s habit of objectifying the female gender. Regardless of the target audience, these types of videos can be harmful to the viewer. Diet and exercise culture on social media can promote good lifestyle choices, but when unqualified “health experts” have access to billions of users, inaccuracy is bound to circulate. Not that the expectation for influencers should be all-around perfection, but rather, that we should aim to present people with the most error-free information as possible.
In short, eating less and exercising more is often promoted, especially by those struggling with disordered eating and exercise, unaware or not. Nonetheless, we can all fall victim to misinformation. Some of the most popular health posts on social media are “what I eat in a day” videos. In a lot of these videos, there seems to be no ill-intention behind the post. However, tallying the calories for many of these short films unsurprisingly totals to slightly over a thousand calories consumed. For reference, the standard daily caloric intake is 2,000 for women, and 2,500 for men. Depending on activity level, size, and age, these numbers may fluctuate, but they serve as the foundation for what is scientifically healthy. And while most people do not track their calories, eating to satiety is just as healthy as listening to your body. It’s also worth noting that it’s one thing to unknowingly struggle with body image, disordered eating, excessive exercise, and then promote it, but to acknowledge and then commit to the danger in promoting unhealthy behavior is deplorable. Ultimately, everyone is beautiful, but not everyone is healthy; to tell impressionable people that beauty supersedes health, and that a specific idea of beauty must be achieved in order to be truly happy, is a fallacy that restricts the soul and body.
I personally don’t feel that blaming influencers who promote diet culture will always help, as we had to have had these factoids of hatred planted in our minds from personal experiences, or indirect exposure to body standards (which is almost inevitable). Although, I think it’s important to be aware of sources that might damage people’s relationships with themselves, and not necessarily shelter the public. Living a life wishing you were different is exhausting, and we should simply try and acknowledge how we feel and why. And then, if we can realize that we will never be able to please everyone, maybe healing will be possible.
Sources
Zhong, R.Z, Frenkel, S.F, 8/14/20, A Third of TikTok’s U.S. Users May Be 14 or Under, Raising Safety Questions, New York, U.S.A., https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/14/technology/tiktok-underage-users-ftc.html
Mohsin, M.M, 2/16/21, 10 TIKTOK STATISTICS THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW IN 2021 [INFOGRAPHIC], N/Ahttps://www.oberlo.com/blog/tiktok-statistics
Johnson, J.J., 4/17/21, Global digital population as of January 2021, Hamburg, Germany, https://www.statista.com/statistics/617136/digital-population-worldwide/
N/A, 2021, Community Guidelines, N/A, https://www.tiktok.com/community-guidelines?lang=en
Océane, N.O., 5/27/20, TikTok's Toxic Diet Culture Needs to be Stopped, London, England, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMybJCpr_MI
N/A, 10/24/19, What should my daily intake of calories be?, England, https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/food-and-diet/what-should-my-daily-intake-of-calories-be/
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