The impact of social media on body confidence

In years gone by it was magazines that dampened body confidence. When we opened the cover of Just 17 at 13 years old, “the perfect image” was staring back at us. Through this medium, we were told that there is an ideal body shape and way to look. And when faced with this at such a young age, it’s hard not to compare and focus on the parts of yourself that do not meet this ideal.

In more recent years, this became less accepted. We started to encourage conversations about body neutrality, body positivity and self-love. started using people of all shapes, sizes, looks and colours in their publications. Wonderful. 

Except, in its place is social media.

Social media has the power to affect body confidence both positively and negatively. Unlike magazines, it is constant, personal and always available. We are no longer occasionally exposed to idealised images; we carry them with us.

Those who have a positive body image often have the following traits:

• an overarching love and respect for their body
• appreciate the unique beauty of their body and the functions it performs
• accept and admire their body, including what doesn't match idealised images
• glow and radiate feelings of beauty, comfort, confidence, and happiness with their body
• emphasise their body’s assets rather than dwell on imperfections
• protect their body by internalising positive information and rejecting or reframing negative information

This is a lot to hold on to when constantly observing images of people showing only their best side.

Many people in the public eye know how to apply makeup, style their hair, and pose for a photograph to look somewhat different from any photo taken off the cuff. Images are carefully selected, filtered and curated. When this becomes the backdrop to everyday life, comparison can creep in quietly, and confidence can take a knock.

Research shows a correlation between the time spent on social media and negative body confidence. One study investigating the effect of Facebook usage on the body image and mood of women explored the difference between Facebook and fashion magazines. Participants who spent time on Facebook reported more negative moods than those on an appearance-neutral control website. The women also reported more facial, hair and skin discrepancies after Facebook exposure.

There is an association between excessive time on social media and increased body image concerns among pre-teenage girls, teenagers and university students. Another study demonstrated that maladaptive Facebook usage increased the body dissatisfaction of females four weeks later.

It isn’t possible to control what other people post on their social media accounts, but it is possible to control what you view. If you struggle to take control of your scrolling, a hypnotherapist can support you in becoming more aware of these patterns and how they affect you.

I’m never quite sure whether the best thing is to stop using social media so much or to follow people who encourage body positivity. Those who promote body positivity often have something specific that goes against society’s idea of the ideal. Perhaps they are overweight or underweight, maybe they have scars or a skin condition, but still, the focus remains on appearance.

What if we step away from social media and start looking at what we see around us?

Choosing to value your body for what it allows you to do, rather than focusing on appearance – yours or anyone else’s. When you go out, focus on activities that bring you joy rather than what other people look like. If you want to go for a run, do it because it will help you feel good, rather than because a body-positive influencer on Instagram says even overweight people can run.

The conflict in my mind remains, because body-positive social media accounts are important. They help people feel that it is OK to be a different shape from the fitness instructor and still attend the class. They help you see that other people have scars like yours and that someone is willing to say: accept, rather than judge.

Body-positive social media accounts campaign, share knowledge and increase awareness. They help society understand that there is no normal, no single ideal, no perfect body.

Or perhaps the truth is simpler than that. Perhaps confidence grows not from comparison or constant reassurance, but from learning to live more comfortably in your own body – as it is, from day to day. Hypnotherapy can offer a gentle space to notice what is beneath the surface. Rather than trying to force confidence or override uncomfortable thoughts about your body, it allows you to slow things down and pay attention to the signals that are already there. In that quieter state, people become more aware of how comparison shows up for them, how their body responds, and what they might need. From there, confidence isn’t something that you need to create or perform. It can grow naturally as understanding and self-trust increase.

References

Fardouly, J., Diedrichs, P.C., Vartanian, L.R. and Halliwell, E., 2015. Social comparisons on social media: The impact of Facebook on young women's body image concerns and mood. Body image, 13, pp.38-45.