Body Positivity and Social Media
Body Positivity is the movement towards acceptance of all bodies, regardless of how the body conforms to beauty standards of any given society. The media we consume has a major impact on how we view ourselves and others. When most of the content we view holds strict Eurocentric beauty standards, it sets a lot of us up to feel shame and can impact our self-worth.
A study out of the University of New South Wales found that within their research study, participants who viewed Body Positivity content in even small doses displayed an increase in body satisfaction and appreciation. You can read more about this study at Neuroscience News.
There are still mixed results in studies regarding the impact of social media use on mental health, but it can be heartening to find one way that there can be a positive impact on wellbeing. With social media, there is more access to all kinds of people, which means all kinds of bodies. The more that we are seeing all types of bodies and body-positive content, the more we will be able to have an acceptance of our bodies. So, this is just a reminder to be mindful of your social media use and the impact of the accounts you follow.
For Body Positive Content:
Books
The Body is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love by Sonya Renee Taylor
Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay
Find more at She Reads and Book Riot
Podcasts
Find more at Insider and Real Simple
Social Media
Find more at Very Well Fit
As always, take what is helpful and leave the rest. I hope you have the week you need.
