Sophie Rueger

Mrs. Boyd

English 101-102

10 December 2020

All Bodies are Perfect Bodies

Social media was created in 1977. Five years later social media took off with around 600

million viewers every minute. With 600 million viewers looking on social media means the same

amount of people judging and looking at peoples posts whether it be looking on Instagram,

Pinterest, Youtube, etc. All of these viewers are judging the way you look, eat, and dress.

Followers on social media compare themselves to the way other people look. Body image raises

a main question, how is social media detrimental to body image? Social media is detrimental

because it promotes size zero as the body standard which includes body modification and

promotes women and men as sexual objects. Not everyone is going to look the same which is the

point of everybody being different. Social media causes conflicts with the human brain for a

person trying to embrace their natural beauty.

What is the negative side to size zero model stereotypes. Models promote an image of

what “beautiful” means. For many, beautiful means size 0. Most models are tall, skinny, and

have a size 0 body. While models can still be considered beautiful, the modeling industry doesn’t

represent sizes and body types. Andsager states, "The myriad individual, independent media

producers who disseminate their messages on social media have an opportunity to potentially

challenge traditional media stereotypes of gender and idealized bodies propagated by the mass

media and the advertising industry that supports them." Andsager expresses to social media
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influencers who have a platform where people look up to them need to set an example of not all

bodies do not look the same (214.) If an Instagram picture is posted and shown in the picture are

a variety of women and men of all shapes and sizes, girls and boys are more likely to judge the

person who looks most different, compared to the person they think is “normal.” Unfortunately,

as the generations are exposed to social media at a younger age kids even the age of nine and ten

are starting to judge their bodies on what they see on their social media which is too young. Not

only are they judging their bodies they are trying to portray a “sexy” identity.

Why are companies not showing all different types of bodies. Since the get-go ads and

campaigns want to show what viewers think is “beautiful” which means size 0. Companies

choose not to show all different body types, which leads to people not understanding their bodies

look beautiful no matter how they appear. Prieler says, ​“​Dieting and the desire to lose weight are

prevalent across all ages of women, even those with normal weight status”(338.) Prieler phrased

no matter who the audience is or what size they are they want to be skinny. Ads ​and campaigns

want to show what attracts the attention of women and men.​ ​Companies show fake beauty

because they want people to aspire to have the “look.” Not until five years ago have companies

truly started to show that all body types and imperfections are what makes the body beautiful and

unique. Companies like Dove real beauty are trying to show all different types of skin colors and

sizes and shapes. A research study was done to see how people of color react to buying a product

when the company only shows only white people. The people of color are more likely not as

interested in buying the product because people of color do not feel connected to it and show no

diversity.

What is the disadvantage of airbrushing models and younger girls. Airbrushing also

known as body modifying is the body standard to be beautiful. Showing stretch marks, cellulite,
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scars, acne and other natural processes people's bodies may go through are known as

“imperfections.” Unfortunately, studies have shown men and women who are vulnerable are

more likely to look for more information on body image and treatments they should be getting.

Sadly, millions of dollars are spent in months just on beautification because people want to be

the normal standard of what it means to be beautiful size 0. Ferguson notes, ​"As women and

men, not looking on social media at the diet plans and cosmetics can be hard.” Ferguson

illuminates it can be hard for individuals to not want to change how they look when all they see

is publicity on how to fix their natural beauty.

Modifying natural beauty can be passed down from generation to generation. For

example, if someone’s mother struggles with body dysmorphia an image is passed down to her

children. As a baby, they have no idea what they look like people learn through the years a

stereotype of what they should look like through the years. Struggling with body dysmorphia can

often end up leading to bolima, anorexia, bingeing and other eating disorders because of people

wanting to look a certain way. Eating disorders are neurological imbalances in peoples heads

which tell people how they should or should not look. Of course, seeking help is very important

to stop these disorders from controlling people's lives. Most of the time, in the generation we live

in girls, and boys have even just the slightest body dysmorphia. When looking in the mirror

people tend to say, “I wish my legs were skinnier,” or “I hate how my face looks,” and “I just

want to look like her.” Even by saying these words, can be a sign men and women are trying to

reach outside of themselves to look at an image they have seen.

Why are women and men used as sex sells still. Sex sells is another way to say women

and men are used to attract attention just beucase of the way their bodies look. Sex sells is how

companies make most of their money off of social media. Social media owners take a model who
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has the look they want, posts them on a social media outlet to then get views. When people see a

picture of a girl or boy with the “look” the image then attracts follows, comments, and likes.

Which makes the social media outlet money. Perfloff says, “To be able to desire your body as a

younger woman you need to be skinny and be desired by men.” He makes a point which is one

hundred percent true for men and women (421.) Most men and women will not look or like a

picture unless it appeals to their liking. If a guy or girl is “peachy” as writers call is not a way to

be able to be desired by the opposite sex. Being desired is the idea behind using social media.

People do not post pictures for themselves, people post them so other people can see and think of

how beautiful they are.

What are solutions to stop social media profiling. Thankfully as humans become more

advanced in technology and new generations. Being all different sizes and looking different is

becoming more common on social media. Showing the new generations to love their bodies and

to appreciate the way they look is very important. Change can be made for these newer

generations who have not been exposed yet to the “thin ideal” so there can be a change. Social

media influencers have to start doing their parts however and showing the bad days they have

where they may not look like they have all of their makeup on. Another solution is to stop the

cycle of parents, ads, campaigns, tv shows showing one type of body image. Media outlets need

to show to the new generations that all bodies are beautiful.

Not everyone is going to look perfect which is what makes everyone unique in their own

way. No human being should strive to look perfect because perfect is not what it means to be

real. Being real means showing our flaws and being content in our bodies. People do not need to

look at a picture to justify if they are worthy or not. Social media tries to show an unrealistic look

can make viewers want to be an image they are not. Learning to love what men and women are
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born with and not focusing on air brushing, sex sells, and size 0 models is very important. At the

end of the day people are all born different which is the point. No one is meant to look exactly

the same. If we all looked the same people would be so boring. Social media needs to start

teaching people to love themselves not what to hate about themselves. All bodies are perfect

bodies.
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Works Cited

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11–12, Dec. 2014, pp. 407–413. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1007/s11199-014-0430-4.

Burke, Brittany. “Make Peace with Your Body.” ​Health​, vol. 33, no. 7, Sept. 2019, pp. 90–95.

Bromberg, Marilyn, et al. “‘You Are Beautiful, No Matter What They Say’: Applying An

Evidence-Based Approach To Body Image Law.” Issues in Law & Medicine, vol. 34, no.

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Ferguson, Christopher, et al. “Concurrent and Prospective Analyses of Peer, Television and

Social Media Influences on Body Dissatisfaction, Eating Disorder Symptoms and Life

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