Social Media and Self Image
In today’s culture, children and teens have access to their own smartphones and social media accounts earlier than ever. Smartphones and social media allow us to have a constant stream of images and advertisements at our fingertips. If you’ve had conversations with your children about how many hours per day they are allowed screen time then you know that once they have access to these platforms- viewing content becomes a consistent component of their daily lives. What are the implications on children’s self-image when having access to this type of content every day?
Before the age of social media, we were exposed to images and advertisements through television and magazines where we would see often obviously false representations of how certain products can make us thinner, happier, and more powerful in an inconceivably short amount of time.
It is quite similar on social media. We follow content creators who show us edited versions of their daily life, which can leave us feeling disappointed with our own reality. In the next few minutes, we are likely to be exposed to an ad that will also make false claims of changing our lives for the better.
The reason that viewing these images and advertisements can be damaging is because they are often false. We do not see the lighting, angles, edits, and countless options that are behind each and every photo, video, and ad. We are comparing ourselves to an ideal that is not real. This is not only the case when we are talking about the topic of appearance but also lifestyle, financial status, happiness, and physical and mental health.
Viewing content online is a largely passive behavior, which means we are not mindful of our thoughts, feelings, and urges while we are doing it. Instead, we typically have these reactions without being aware of what is happening for us emotionally. In some ways social media allows us to view the content that we want to see by following and unfollowing accounts. However, the algorithm is able to incorporate sneaky advertisements into our feed and make suggestions about what else we should view. When we are viewing content passively, we likely do not even notice the purposeful way we are suggested what to consume.
Being exposed to idealistic images creates a wanting in us that causes us to strive for perfection and desire things we don’t have. While setting and maintaining limits and boundaries with your children and teens around screen time it is also important that we teach them to be mindful scrollers and critical viewers of media.
Although we are all susceptible to being fooled by false images, adults have more information to remind us that what we are seeing is not real. Adolescents are using social media more than any other age range, and they are at the highest risk for comparison to others and body image disturbances. If children and teens are not receiving content from a critical perspective then they are more likely to internalize feelings of inadequacy and experience self-objectification. It is clear why social media consumption can cause individuals to strive to meet unrealistic standards and cause detrimental effects to confidence and satisfaction with their lives. What can we do about it?
Tips:
When discussing boundaries around screen time with your kids, inform them why it is important to limit time online and maximize time living a values-driven life. Ask them not only how much time they think is appropriate for screen time but also how much time they would like to dedicate to their school, hobbies, sports, friends, and family.
2. Teach your kids how to choose media mindfully. Encourage them to view content that reflects the values that you discussed with them and to unfollow accounts that do not.
3. Discuss what it means to be a critical viewer of media. Practice analyzing images or videos that you see online with your kids. Ask them questions, see how they respond, and offer them information about the media to help them learn to be critical viewers on their own. Some examples of key questions are: Is this a realistic portrayal? Are the claims true? Is this attainable? Is there a product being sold here?
4. Be an advocate. Support content that does not portray unrealistic standards of beauty and lifestyle, and reach out to brands and content creators to let them know when you are not happy with the image that they are portraying. Involve your kids in this process with you!
Children and teens can struggle with the idea of having limits around their screen time, so it is important for them to be informed about why these boundaries are in place. Information about social media, how it can impact self-image, and practicing being a mindful and critical viewer will better equip them for managing their relationship with social media.