Joey Jacobson, Reporter
@joeyjcourant
Negative body image has become a prominent issue in the past few years. But why? Many would point to the increased use of social media. Social media has raised awareness of body dysmorphia, a disorder that is classified as people struggling wit h extreme body image issues, often obsessing over their flaws.
Much like the rest of the world, body dysmorphia affects students in the high school community. An anonymous female student said, “I would say I have bad body image but definitely lesser now. I have more positive people in my life which has contributed to how I view myself. I’ve also cut down on my use of social media a little bit recently.”
This disorder affects people differently. “I think I have persistently had a bad body image, it’s not really that easy to overcome it,” an anonymous male student said. “I would probably say I started feeling it in middle school the most.”
The constant perfection represented on social media has further harmed people with body dysmorphia’s self image. The female student said, “I definitely feel like my presence on social media has made me compare myself to others a little bit more,” the female student said. “Now that I’ve distanced myself a little bit more I feel better about myself.”
“I think social media has an influence on my perception of myself,” the male student said. “There’s a lot of people on social media who really don’t have realistic bodies and it definitely has an impact on me.”
The reason for these unrealistic images is no secret – photoshop. “I think most of the other girls I know edit their instagram photos,” the female student said. “They’ll usually try to do it subtly, but it often doesn’t end up looking realistic.”
For those that struggle, there are ways to try to overcome the intrusive negative thoughts. “I think the best thing you can do is stare at the mirror and say positive words of affirmation,” the female student said. “Tell yourself you are beautiful and it will definitely help your own self image. Another good thing is to surround yourself with positive people.”
“I think you have to limit your negative thinking and start looking at your positive features,” the male student said. “For every negative thing you notice about yourself, think of two positives; it will help so much.”
Rachel Hartong, a school social worker, offers advice on what to do for those that feel negative thoughts associated with their body image. “Talk to a trusted adult about how you are feeling,” she said. “In addition to your parents and family members, the members of the counseling staff at the high school are a great resource.”
