Influencers Having A Negative Impact on Young Women
According to a recent study done by Australia’s Flinders University women had a negative perception of their own body image and it made them feel bad after viewing alluring photographs, especially sexualized (lingerie and bikini photographs) of social media influencers.
Women usually compare their body image with the influencers’ images posted on their social media platforms or models’ images in magazines. This flood of social media imagery has increased dissatisfaction in women for their own looks and personality.
First of all it is important to understand the meaning of influencer culture.
What is influencer culture?
In the social media world influencers are people who have become popular and built a reputation for themselves by posting content or videos on a particular topic or subject. They have many followers on social media platforms who are affected by them emotionally.
The term ‘influencer culture’ means that these influencers who are just like celebrities for their followers use their popularity to promote products of their own brand or other company’s brand for the purpose of selling. They ‘influence’ their followers’ decision to purchase those products.
A lot of research conducted to know the impact of social media imagery on young women shows that they feel negative about their own appearance and personality after viewing the photographs of social media influencers celebrities or peers. Those influencers who have a focus on fashion often utilize explicit photographs to attract the attention of people to their posts. Such sexualized pictures can be especially powerful, impacting not only body image but also how competent women perceive themselves.
Based on the research done on the ‘effects of social media’ by Jennifer Mills, Professor of Psychology at York University who conducted her research on this subject says, “Many researches have proved that social media negatively affects the emotions of young women about their own self-image. Patients and students feel pressured to look a certain way based on comparing themselves to what other people post on their social media platforms. Clients with eating disorders were coerced to watch pro-anorexia content in their feeds and follow those accounts even though they knew doing so would be harmful to their health.
How do influencers affect young women?
Although in today’s world of social media, it’s important to be aware of influencer culture to get acquainted with new things, it’s equally crucial to understand the threat they pose to those who do not know the reality of this online world which is extensively edited. Influencers, celebrities, or even friends may have extensively filtered their “selfies” on social media to present the most appealing versions of themselves. Many of these images encourage unrealistic beauty ideas because they do not accurately depict people’s actual appearances. Young women often judge themselves to be less attractive when comparing their personal appearance to these staged and unrealistic photographs. This is detrimental to their self-esteem as well.
Although influencers also affect young women positively by motivating them to grow their personalities, however, there can be more negative effects. Young women may set unachievable beauty standards when they compare themselves with the influencers posting attractive body images with flawless skin which is often filtered. They may become spendthrift as they feel pressured to buy the expensive beauty or fashion products promoted by the influencers and this will eventually lead to financial stress.
Young women may also get into the habit of harmful dieting as some influencers instigate people to follow rigorous dieting plans and excessive exercise to look slim and attractive. Young women may also get into the habit of harmful dieting as many influencers motivate people to follow rigorous dieting plans and excessive exercise in order to look slim and attractive.
Self-esteem also gets negatively impacted when we consider ourselves inadequate and do not value what we are.
Ways to get out of this influencers’ trap
Nowadays we get the information we want very easily on social media platforms which is a gift of this online world. However, it is important to limit the use of social media.
- Young women should engage themselves in healthy activities like sports, reading books, and hanging out with friends which will increase their self-acceptance, and then watch out on social media for half or one hour.
- Be watchful of the influencers who use sexualized imagery of women to attract the attention of people to sell the products, and you may also unfollow those accounts.
- Make yourself realize that attractive personalities and beautiful faces might be a work of filters, hence comparing yourself is of no use.
- Always accept yourself as you are and spend your precious time watching the content of those influencers who promote self-acceptance and promote mental and physical improvisation of individuals
Although influencers also affect young women positively by motivating them to grow their personalities, however, there can be more negative effects making them feel inadequate and awful about themselves. Young women should follow the accounts of influencers who motivate them to accept themselves as they are and improve their mental and physical health.
Young women should engage themselves in healthy activities like sports, reading books, and hanging out with friends which will increase their self-acceptance, and then watch out on social media for half or one hour.
Young women should have high self-esteem and have control over what they follow on social media. They should realize that attractive personalities and beautiful faces might be a work of filters, hence comparing oneself with them is of no use.
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