“The only person you should try to be better than, is yourself.” Society’s standard for people in this day and age, have them comparing them to each other. Constantly making a person’s desire to match someone else’s beauty. They stand in front of their mirror and think: “I need to get a smaller waist” “Why are my legs so short!” “She looks a lot prettier, how did she get her stomach to be so thin?” “Oh God, I’ve gained so much weight, I look ugly!”
As they look at their imperfections, they don’t realize they will never be satisfied no matter how much they attempt to “fix” themselves. There will always be someone that seems to be more “ideal” in this competitive society which is the primary reason illnesses start to rise. This endless cycle can result in damage that is too great to prevent or salvage. The negative mindset that takes place in almost every child’s mind at some point, is very likely to be driven by how they want to appear to the world.
Body dysmorphia is the main illness which is concerned with a person’s persistent fixation on a supposed lack of beauty. Body dysmorphia is not the only illness that people can develop from their insecurities as it depends on what they want to “fix” or how major their insecurity is. Anorexia is another dangerous disorder, most commonly seen in children, is where someone starts starving themselves or over-exercising to lose some fat. Bulimia, on the other hand, is where people start to binge eat and use harmful methods to lose weight. The most common way to try to lose weight when you have bulimia is by throwing up or purging.
Insecurities feed mental health issues like depression, low self-esteem, and anxiety. They are also often a contributing factor to eating disorders and substance use disorders. - The Light Program
The irreversible damage that comes from these disorders and illnesses can all start from a simple body-shaming insult, obsession with beauty trends on social media, or a comparison of their body to someone else. Hiding your insecurities are temporary and it doesn’t take your insecurity away, which causes disorders and illness. Insecurities are a prominent factor that contributes to a person’s well being and is caused by comparisons, obsessions, or insults. Fighting against yourself is a dangerous game, as it makes the people around you make the decisions you should be making. Thinking, “What will she think if my shirt is too tight” or “What will happen if I tie my hair up” is the start of losing yourself and who you are. It is vital to accept the insecurities you have as they come instead of trying to hide them from the world all the time. Although it seems hard to embrace your insecurities, once you do, your point of view of yourself becomes a lot more positive which is crucial to a good state of mind.
Insecurities can cause plenty of damage but how it is caused is just as crucial and traumatizing. Comparing oneself’s image to someone else’s based on appearance causes insecurities because they want to look at how they look, no matter how fake it might be. If people compare themselves to images of people on Instagram or any social media surface, they will never stop even if many of those images are photo-shopped for the user’s liking. Some of the filters on social media include making your teeth look whiter or making you look taller. This tricks people into thinking the edited version of themselves should be the person they should look like at all times. Although social media can positively affect a person’s physical health in several ways, it has as many negative effects on people’s perception of their body.
“This means there are profound psychological consequences for women’s body image when they compare their physical appearances to others.” - King University
A study conducted by the Florida House Experience concluded that about 87% of women and 65% of men out of a thousand participants each, compared their physical appearance to pictures of people on social media.
Since people feel pressured to look perfect, they try to “correct” their bodies in all the wrong ways possible. Some people skip meals, others try to exercise to the point of putting themselves in dangers and some count calories to the extreme. All of these ways have proven to end up in some sort of eating disorder or permanent damage either mentally or physically. Moreover, trying to get the perfect body from social media is harmful in more ways than one. The safe, achievable and healthy body for the person on your screen might be dangerous to try for you. At the end of the day, we need to be careful that we are achieving our body goals safely and healthily.
In this day and age, technology is a huge factor in society’s lifestyle as some are dependent on it. Although this can be a positive outlook for some, some are harmed by these platforms. Social media has several brutal platforms with people who do not hold back from pointing out and destructively criticising a part of someone which isn’t up to their impossible standard. Cyberbullying is just as impactful as physical bullying as they ruin a person’s positive state of mind anonymously. Pointing out if a body part does not look like a norm in society, can cause new insecurities within a person to rise also causing them to develop illnesses or disorders.
Eating disorders like anorexia or bulimia can be caused by body dysmorphia illness as it can be a desperate way to lose weight by an uneducated teenager who doesn’t understand the real harm of them.
The education system has been starting to change to address more problems and adding information about a disease that is common among several kids can be something to look into. Learning about the negative effects of disorders can allow teenagers to understand what is happening to them every time they vomit their food out for the sole purpose of losing/maintaining their weight.
The common misconception of there being a preferred body type in society ought to be removed as the effects it has can cause people’s health to quickly deteriorate. Social media plays a big role in causing damage to people’s physical as well as mental health.
“According to new research teens who spend just 30 minutes a day could have increased feelings of anxiety, depression, loneliness and notably poor self-image, the latter of which could lead to unhealthy eating behaviors.” - Forbes
Although insecurities are normal for everyone to have, they are there to an extent. If you are causing harm to yourself and not losing weight for the right reasons or the right way, you should not continue to do so. It is important to accept your insecurities as they are, they make you unique, even if society doesn’t see it that way.