Social media is notorious for exposing users to distorted reality about different things, beauty and body image included. Everyone from celebrities to people we know post carefully selected images that are edited and enhanced with filters, portraying societal body image ideals on social media. Unfortunately, continued exposure to these kinds of idolized body images can cause users to have negative perceptions on their own bodies. This can be a risk for stress, anxiety, eating habits disorders and low self-esteem. The good thing is that it is possible to change the narrative on social media by advocating for positive body image. Here are positive uses of social media that can help users appreciate and respect their bodies regardless of what the society dictates as ideal bodies.
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Body positivity campaigns
Social media campaigns with popular hashtags spread like bushfire across different demographics. Likewise, such campaigns can be an effective tool in helping social media users change the way they see and feel about their bodies, improving their self-esteem while at it. Organizations and individuals alike continue to launch campaigns on social media that advocate for positive body image. Some of these campaigns focus on spreading love and emphasizing on acceptance of one’s body regardless of the society standards of beauty. With the help of SEO services, you can direct these campaigns toward the right audience. You can gain Google’s trust in your campaign by using Florida SEO to help you rank first in search results, and people will be more likely to trust you as a result.
In your small way, you can use body positivity campaigns to advocate for positive body image among your followers. Something as simple as a ‘No Filter’ campaign where you post photos with no filters, or adjustments can go a long way in encouraging others to love and accept themselves for who they are rather than for their appearance.
‘Body Positive’ online communities and forums
Online communities on social media are powerful platforms that bring people of similar thoughts, or who are struggling with something common together for support and learning. There are many online communities that advocate for body positivity, reaching out to so many people across social media.
The Pro-Recovery Movement by Eating Disorder Hope is a great example of online communities that are advocating for self-love and body positivity. The community provides a platform for people struggling with eating disorders to share their struggles. Through regular chats aimed at celebrating body positivity, this online community has positively impacted how millions of people perceive body image.
Promoting healthy living with factual information
Some organizations and individuals claiming to be weight loss experts are notorious for sharing the before and after photos of people who purportedly have used their slimming tea or followed their recommended diet to lose weight. Unfortunately, these images and messages accompanying them often portray that thinner bodies are ideal, which can lead to their followers taking up unhealthy behaviors or falling for such weight loss scams in a bid to gain the ideal body.
However, health, wellness and nutrition pages focused on body positivity are rising up to counter such messages by sharing factual information about healthy living. Sharing messages about balanced diets and advocating for an active lifestyle like encouraging people to go for runs, use exercise equipment such as dumbbells for healthy living instead of weight loss can help promote body positivity.
Body positive influencing
Social media influencers can have significant influence on their followers, which is why they have become the go-to marketers for many brands. For so long, they have filled their followers’ timelines with what are apparently ideal bodies selling all sorts of weight loss products and sharing on how to get rid of unwanted fat.
Thankfully, a new wave of body positivity influencers is rising, giving birth to celebrities who are focused on health, self-love and appreciation for who people are regardless of body appearance. These new breed of influencers are committed to normalize normal bodies by exposing the reality about the work that goes into creating those perfect yet unrealistic bodies. They are also embracing voluptuous bodies, cellulite, skins of all shades and everything else that comes with normal bodies. This is all the people want to see – that celebrities have the same body struggles as them, to have a shift of mind on how they see their body images.
Conclusion
Social media has for long portrayed unrealistic ideas on beauty and ideal bodies. Unfortunately, this has continually put pressure on social media users, leading to negative effects on body image. The good thing is that this has caught the attention of many who are willing to change the story through body positivity advocacy. Body positivity communities and campaigns are spreading awareness and educating users on self-care and acceptance. Body positive influencing and promoting healthy living without emphasis on weight loss are going a long way in advocating for body positivity.