Discussion: Body Image and Social Media

Body Image is a part of our daily lives whether we realize it or not. The media portrays body
image in various ways. You can be too skinny, too heavy, too tall or too short. How do you feel
the media has shaped your thinking?

1. Hit the reply button, below.

2. Answer the following question: Why do you think eating disorders are on the rise for both
men and women?
3. Discuss the following questions in 1-2 well-thought out paragraphs. (Please don’t just write
your answers to the questions – try to write down your ideas in an organized way.) Once they
are all uploaded we will comment on the photos and discuss the reality behind these photos
(If there is any).
1. What is the ‘reality’ behind these photos?
2. How does a photo like this affect your own thinking about body image?
3. How do you feel the media has shaped your thinking?
4. What do you think we as a society can do to change how photos like this create our
perceptions of body image?
It's no joke that eating disorders are on the rise for both men and women. I believe that social
media plays a big part in why the number of people affected by eating disorders are constantly
rising. Social media tends to set the bar for what is considered "acceptable" or "wanted." Today
women are expected to have a flat stomach, small waist, not light on the scale but also not heavy.
Men are expected to have abs, big arms, arms that are proportional to legs, tall. These standards
that people expect is certainly not realistic to all people. Some people are able to manage these
looks due to genetics or truly spending time working on their figure. However not everyone is
able to achieve that and because society makes people think it's better to be "acceptable," it
causes people to turn to eating disorders in trying to get that look that people desire.
The "reality" behind the photo I chose is sad. Most people tend to believe that they are not
accepted due to the way their body is. Bigger men tend to want to look more muscular while
women at any size wish to be thinner. This photo has affected me, I tend to feel as if I'm the girl
in the mirror. I want to look better however, I know it is not just truly for myself. This is due to
social media's impact on a person's life. I see others with an amazing body and I wish it were me.
However, I realize that I, too, am unique and beautiful as they are. Social media has affected the
way I view myself, however, how I view the opposite gender is not the same. I accept the
opposite gender for what they look like. All my male friends are in various different sizes and
body shapes and I treat them no better than one another. I think social media affects more of how
I look at myself than how I look at others surrounding me. I think society can take steps such as
placing women and men of various different sizes and shapes into advertisements. This is slowly
becoming a trend, but it's not as big of a trend yet. Maybe this way, people won't be so ashamed
or embarrassed of how they are. This will not only improve self confidence, but also lower eating
disorders, and maybe even depression as well.