Social standards have significant effects on how people perceive themselves. With forms of social media and other factors such as society itself, many have become obsessed with their body image and how they look. There have been studies that have shown how society has an idealized body size and when men and women aren’t these sizes they feel insecure and anxiety. For instance, clothes, makeup, accessories, etc. are being advertised using thin beautiful models or muscular men. There are even social media accounts that are strictly for “pretty people,” and they only post images of what society thinks is beautiful. People see these images and have a desire to look like these models, and will go to extremes to accomplish their goal. This further leads to people harming themselves or even obtaining an eating disorder to achieve being skinny or built. There has been much discussion on how being accepted and fitting in has become more and more important among young males and females over the years, and the negative effects of this desire. This issue can be solved through a positive change in societies norms, social media, and in school. The change will allow people to live freely without feeling the weight of social norms on their shoulders.

According to Social Location, Significant Others and Body Image Among Adolescents, a journal article by Richard Levinson, Brian Powell, and Lala Carr Steelman, “advertisers have capitalized on these sex-stereotyped versions of sexual appeal by encouraging males to ‘build it up’ and women to ‘slim it down’ at their facilities” (Levinson et. al 331). It is important to note that these companies are using the insecurities of young teens to gain profit, and it’s working. The journal also states that females are usually more likely to depict themselves as “too heavy” while males see themselves as “too thin” (Levinson et. al 331). However, researchers found that females tend to express greater dissatisfaction with themselves than males do. This is because they see their weight as much heavier than average, while most males see their weight as ideal (Levinson et. al 331). This article helps highlight the main ideas of how the social world can influence young people in such a negative way.

For example, in an article published by the Washington Post, Amanda Mascarelli explains the “thigh gap” that is swarming through social media, and how it can lure young women to eating disorders. According to Tania Heller (qtd. in Fueled by social media), medical director of the Washington Center for Eating Disorders, “[There has been] an increased trend in which adolescent girls and young women are engaging in extreme dieting in pursuit of a so-called thigh gap” (Mascarelli). These trends on social media are becoming unsafe to young females, and are causing serious harm to the body. This source goes into depth about how serious the dangers of influence and social media can be. While most cases of eating disorders and insecurities are blamed on society and social media, some critics argue that people cannot always put the blame on social media because sometimes these things are self-inflicted.

In this modern era, there is lots of pressure to fit into what society views as attractive. As stated in Body Image, Self-Esteem, and Health-Related Behaviors Among Male and Female First Year College Students, “Body image dissatisfaction, weight concerns, eating problems, and physical attractiveness have become especially significant issues on college campuses, with up to 90% of college students reporting that they worry about body image” (Lowery et. al. 612). Young men and women today constantly struggle with these body issues, and it is important to note that most of them are so concerned with their body image that they are harming themselves through harsh dieting and other ways to lose or gain weight. 

One of the reasons people are harming themselves is due to the media. A study was performed in Cyprus by Marios Argyrides and Marisia Sivitanides where they found that “when exposed to a thin ideal projected by the media, the participants who scored high on the actual ideal weight discrepancy experienced feelings of dejection, whereas the participants who scored high on actual-ought weight discrepancy (actual weight vs. an obligation or duty to possess a certain weight) experienced agitation” (Argyrides). The journal also states that “there is minimal emphasis placed by the school curriculum on issues of body image and disordered eating, as the classes that address these issues have been reduced significantly” (Argyrides).

To continue the idea that media effects body image, a study was performed by Bill Thornton and Jason Maurice and their results indicated  that “women who are exposed to depictions of idealized thin physiques subsequently expressed diminished self-esteem and heightened self-consciousness, physique anxiety, and body dissatisfaction” (Thorton).There has also been “increased body dissatisfaction and diminished self-esteem have been reported among women following exposure to photographs of women characterizing this thin ideal” (Thorton). The journal also states that while media has an effect on self-image, it is ultimately the persons decision whether or not to expose themselves to media sources emphasizing portrayals of idealized attractiveness. Women who chose not to expose themselves to this media “would experience little self-evaluative negative consequence as a result” (Thorton). This article was written in 1997, and this proves that body issues have been around for longer than expected. 

While most body image issues are focused on women, in the article, Preteen Boys, Body Image, and Eating Disorders, it focuses more on boys’ dissatisfaction with their body image, rather than on girls who usually get more attention on this topic. In one study, Madden et al. (2009) collected nationally representative data on Early Onset Eating Disorders among five to thirteen year olds being treated by child health specialists across Australia, and of the 101 cases collected, 25 percent were boys. Another recent study (Bayes and Madden 2011) researched ten boys mostly around the age of under thirteen, all that were diagnosed with either anorexia nervosa or an EDNOS. Boys are always being exposed to fit men through sports, television, and magazines. Although some of this research suggests that boys may be dieting to produce a lean appearance (Grogan and Richards 2002), other research shows how teenage boys are trying to gain weight (O’Dea and Rawstone 2001) or resort to specialized dieting, exercise, and gym training. Even sometimes the use of anabolic steroids to improve their muscle bulk (Frost 2003).

In the article, Media-Portrayed Idealized Images, Body Shame, and Appearance Anxiety, it explains how women tend to have increased anxiety and body shame when shown idealized body images. Media tends to promote the idea that losing weight and getting your right body shape is easy through dieting and weight-altering products. There is evidence that “exposure to media-portrayed idealized images is associated with negative feelings about the body, and with the desire to alter its weight and shape” (Monro). In Fiona Monro’s study, 37 women aging from 17 to 37 were shown 24 magazine advertisements, four blocks each of six idealized body present body-related product advertisements, idealized body absent body-related product advertisements, idealized body absent non-body related product advertisements, and idealized body absent non–body related product advertisements. The participants experienced less body shame after exposure to images without idealized bodies and more body shame after being shown idealized bodies. 

As social media gets worse, young adults are self-criticizing themselves about their bodies and how they look, and it’s causing them to harm themselves. Goss and Allan state that “women’s perceptions that their body image may be at the root of social diminishment or attacks may give rise to shame perceptions of being seen by others as flawed, unattractive or inferior, as well as to the internal shaming process that includes severe self-criticism’. Because of this, women might resort to binge eating to cope with such “negative evaluations and emotions”. There is a current study going on that gives evidence suggesting that “early negative experiences related to body image play a significant role on the severity of binge eating symptoms, through its association with heightened current body image shame and self-criticism, in both men and women from the general and college communities” (Duarte). This study shows how body issues are not only in young teens and children or adults, but also in young college students.

Body issues can lead to many health risks and mental illness. That’s why it is important that action be taken in schools, social media, and in society to fix the perception that there is an ideal body size for men and women.  In light of all this information, it is also important that schools educate young people on these matters before they get out of hand. Schools should also have resources available to young teens who feel that they might be going through body shaming or issues. As for social media, it need to be better monitored. For instance, accounts that shame people for their weight or looks should be deleted immediately. By working together to solve this issue, society can become a better, more accepting place for people who have insecurities. 
