In an era of social media dominance, there is more pressure than ever to conform to societal beauty standards. The media we consume causes a relentless pursuit of an unattainable ideal, and can exact a toll on self-esteem and mental health. Commonly known as “pro-ana,” it could be said that pro-anorexia culture has made a comeback in recent years, but the truth is, it never left.
Toxic mantras and unrealistic expectations have crowded the media for decades, and one of the most common perpetrators of body dissatisfaction in women has been the flood of thin bodies shown in magazines or on television.
Dr. Anne Becker, Maude and Lillian Presley professor of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School, did a study in 2002 that linked TV exposure to disordered eating in young women. The study involved teens in Fiji who had previously had no access to television and how their perspective on their bodies changed once they began watching TV.
After three years of TV use, the study found that there was a 16% increase in the risk of eating disorders amongst the girls, and 69% of them had gone on a diet since the exposure. The study serves as a basis of comparison for our own American society and how uplifting and prioritizing only thin bodies in the media can be detrimental for those who do not conform to that standard.
“I grew up an athlete, so all of these companies flood our feeds and put the prime image of what they’re trying to display. Brands like Nike and Under Armour put skinny, strong, and muscular crossfit type people, and then you have me, who is 5'4 and not muscular or fit but I was good at my sport. So, I lived through my entire career thinking I was not cut out to be what all these people wanted me to be. I think the media uses what’s popular, pretty, and standard, even though those standards are the minimal percentage of people,” NHS Physical Education teacher Megan Goyda said.
Recently, there has been a resurgence of the term “heroin chic,” a phrase used to glamorize a sickly-skinny physique characterized by pale skin, eye bags, emaciated features, and a lack of eating. In November 2022, the New York Post released an article titled “Bye-bye booty: Heroin chic is back.” Heroin chic is the glamourization of drug abuse to obtain a “model body,” and the term can be traced back to the ‘80s and ‘90s as a fashion photography trend, coined by photographer Davide Sorrenti. Models like Gia Carangi and Kate Moss seem to have become the faces of the style.
Moss has been notorious for promoting pro-ana culture, especially at the height of her career, popularizing the phrase “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels” in 2009. Moss later retracted that statement after years of backlash—but that didn’t erase the damage it had done. “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels” has become a mantra within the eating disorder community and has been used to discourage women from nourishing their bodies.
As technology continued to develop, the way people consumed media began to change. Social media use has reached an all-time high as of late, and continues to become more common and frequent. Americans aged 13 to 18 reported an average screen time of nearly 9 hours a day. Studies show that those with higher screen times have a higher tendency to internalize problems, along with having a higher rate of depression and anxiety. According to the American Psychological Association, teens and young adults who reduced their social media screen time by 50% saw significant improvement in the way they viewed their weight and body image compared to their peers who maintained their use. This can be attributed to many factors, including ads with thin models, constantly comparing themselves to photoshopped or idealized versions of others, others sharing their own insecurities unsolicited, seeing the features they have on their own bodies scrutinized, etc.
The dangers of encouraging a specific type of body over another are not unknown. Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness, with more than 5% of all patients dying within four years of their diagnosis. It’s also important to note that anorexia is not the only illness these unsafe expectations create. Disorders like bulimia, orthorexia, and binge-eating are also common results of societal expectations and can be just as unsafe.
“Young women change themselves a lot, which makes me sad. I think the effect of social media has made it skyrocket, and it’s a case where technology is great until it hurts with things like filters. So, I applaud companies like Dove for putting realistic looking women out there, and I do think that young women in particular do feel a certain amount of pressure to look a certain way,” NHS English teacher Theresa Talluto said.
Maintaining a healthy relationship with oneself and one’s body image has become increasingly harder as access to social media has gotten easier. Navigating the digital realm, it becomes evident that toxic mantras, unrealistic expectations, and the pressure to conform continue to plague our collective psyche, causing a cycle of dissatisfaction and negative self-image. Yet, voices challenging the narrative and advocating for a more inclusive definition of beauty can be heard. By promoting acceptance and celebrating individuality, the harmful effects of unrealistic standards perpetuated by the media can be mitigated.