Social Media and Body Dysmorphia

Everyone knows that time of the year… spring break and you’re scrolling through your Instagram feed and all you see is the “classic” bikini post. To make matters worse, you didn’t get a beach vacation, so not only are you jealous, but you also point your attention to body comparison. How do all of these other people look so good laying on the beach? Why don’t you look like that? Then, you start racking up tips and strategies so that you can be “bikini body” ready by the summer… but does this mean you have to cut out carbs? Or your favorite dessert? Or design a workout regimen that doesn’t have any rest?

What if I told you that the images you see on social media of people’s “slim and perfect” bodies are not actually real?

Yup. All of the time spent comparing yourself to a fake reality is not worth your happiness and joy when you could be focusing all of that love back towards yourself. Now this is particularly tricky because so much of your feed could be filled with bodies that look “better” than your’s… and it can even be easy to fall into the trap of using these “better bodies” as inspiration! Like this is the “goal” body, I just have to diet and spend two hours at the gym every day. WRONG! You don’t have to do anything to change your body because you’re perfect in your own way. Can you imagine if we were all just carbon copies of the same Instagram model? Can you imagine how dull our communities would become?

I want to talk about an important phenomenon, especially as it applies to body comparison and social media; body dysmorphia is a mental health condition in which you cannot stop thinking (often obsessing) over a particular body part - or the body as a whole. This often leads to dieting / food restriction, intense exercise routines, or in extreme cases, cosmetic surgeries to “correct” perceived problems with the body. Body dysmorphia is also a frequent symptom of eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia, etc.) in which people think they are bigger or smaller than they actually are. When you’re scrolling on social media, for example, and you start to compare how you look with others who are “perfectly” sitting on the beach in their bikinis, you are experiencing body dysmorphia if you automatically think you are “fat” because your bikini size is a medium and the girl in the picture is clearly wearing an extra small; you’re making the assumption that you’re body looks “bad” based on perceived size differences. This could be the stomach, thighs, etc. - but you’re already putting your body down and lifting other bodies up based on physical appearance.

I also want to make one thing crystal clear: this is not your fault.

Unfortunately, we live in a society where thin people are celebrated and health is based on a number. Doctors and nurses are also lacking important weight-inclusive health education, so even the doctor’s office can become a scary and unwelcoming place for those of us who struggle with our physical appearances. We have been conditioned from a very young age to compare what we look like and rank ourselves on a “hierarchy of bodies”. Some people will spend their whole lives trying to climb this “body hierarchy” just to end up sad, exhausted, and defeated. We cannot keep chasing the “perfect body” because it does not exist! It’s only a fabricated concept to serve our capitalist society…

I remember when I first got my Facebook account… I was so excited! I was also 13. That’s insane! Middle school is such a difficult time navigating through puberty and your body’s physical / emotional changes, so you can imagine how difficult it also was to update my Facebook with “desirable” pictures and posts. I remember even in the “early” days of social media, it was a constant competition to see who was the best, who had the most “friends”, and how many likes your picture/post could get. It was exhausting! I think this pressure has only increased since Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Twitter, etc. have taken over the social media scene. It’s just a constant game to see who can present their life in the “most appealing” way… even when that could be the furthest from reality! And the sad part is, this “game” is only starting earlier and earlier in the lives of young people who now are walking around with so much stress and anxiety; no wonder cases of mental health illnesses are on the rise!

For a long time, I completely got rid of my social media accounts because I couldn’t take the pressure and constant battle to prove myself. I would also frequently compare myself to others on my feed, and this only fed my body dysmorphia and what later became a full blown eating disorder. Thankfully, I’m finally in a place of my recovery where I can have a different, more positive relationship with my social media accounts. They are a form of communication and collaboration with my friends and family, as well as a space where I can express myself in an authentic way. I also made an intentional decision to unfollow a lot of accounts that I knew were no longer bringing me joy.

But that’s not to say that I’m free of struggling with my body image. I also want to make this crystal clear — loving yourself unconditionally will always be a challenge. But just like everything else in life, a constant and dedicated practice of self-love over time will pay off. Smiling at yourself in the mirror and accepting yourself just as you are will get easier with time - I promise. <3 Until then, please do not give up on yourself, because you are worthy and deserving of all the love and compassion in the world!

And the next time you’re scrolling through your feed and you see that impossibly “perfect” bikini picture, remember that what you’re seeing is not an accurate depiction of reality! Instead, turn off the phone, walk outside, and smile at how beautiful it is to simply exist in a world and get to experience it through such an incredible body - your body! :)