Teenagers are spending more and more time on social media, but it comes with negative mental health risks. As summer approaches, there is the pressure to have that “perfect” summer body but the effects of that pressure can be detrimental.
On average, teenagers spend about six to eight hours per day on social media. We are all victims to the mindless doom-scrolling; however, as humans we are also all prone to compare ourselves to each other or to impossible standards. As we sit and watch influencers online, it can be hard not to look at ourselves and find flaws. One student at West Springfield High School, who wishes to remain anonymous, said, “I thought that if I was skinnier that more people would like me. I’d see my ex’s ex-girlfriend on Instagram and immediately pick out everything that was right about her and that was wrong with me.” The problem is literally at our fingertips! According to the National Institute of Health, up to 95% of teenagers (aged 13-17) use social media platforms daily. And those platforms oftentimes promote unrealistic standards of beauty and body image.
With summer just around the corner and, with it, hotter weather, people start to wear shorts, tank tops, and bathing suits, etc., all of which expose more of our bodies. The pressure to look good becomes a very real issue for many people. After surveying a sample of students at West Springfield High School, the results reveal that over 80% of students feel that social media has made them think negatively about their bodies. When these students were asked about what they thought the ideal body image was, they repeatedly used words such as “skinny,” “hourglass,” and “muscular.”
And the problem extends beyond West Springfield. Worldwide, approximately 55% of men and 80% of women report having negative feelings about their bodies. However, there are strategies that we can use to help us cope with our heavy feelings about the way we look. Mrs. McDonnell, a Health teacher at West Springfield High School said, “The more we talk to kids about what they have to offer, the more comfortable they will feel in their skin.” She also encourages her students to accept themselves for the things they like as well as don’t like about themselves. In my opinion, there is no such thing as the “perfect summer body,” so this summer make sure to engage yourselves in some positive self-talk. And remember, some of our most unique qualities are also some of our best attributes because they make us who we are.