How will the new social media ban influence Teenagers Self Image?
Does influencer marketing damage young people’s mental health and self esteem? Social Media is great for so many reasons; wether it is for communication or even just something to keep you entertained, there is something for everyone. However, is it leading to a decrease in young peoples mental due to an increase in unrealistic beauty standards? In modern society, it is the new norm to edit your photos, use filters, blur imperfections, and even go as far as getting cosmetic procedures to remove them. Whilst this may be a fantastic way of boosting self esteem as an adult, what kind of message are we teaching the new generation of young people. Some recent studies into this correlation have found that:
o 1/3 adolescents report feeling unhappy with their body image due to excessive comparison online (UK Youth Studies 2024).
o 57% of young girls feel persistently sad or hopeless with growing concerns around their appearance due to social comparison (2023 Youth Risk Behaviour Survey)
o Edited photos are mistaken for the new unrealistic reality by young people (the American psychological association)
Teenager’s brains are not fully developed yet, meaning they are more susceptible to falling for peer pressure, and feeling the need to reach the unrealistic beauty standards set in modern society. As you can see by the images shown above, videos and expectations around how our bodies and skin should look are very unrealistic for a young person, or infant anybody to reach without significant restriction, editing, or cosmetic procedures.
Overall, I would suggest that due to the unrealistic beauty standards in modern social media, that a social media ban for young people is a great idea, and will hopefully lead to an increasing account of positive mental health in trying people.