Body diversity in social networks

Social networks are the space where in most cases we expose the best of our lives: dinners, special days, vacations, among many others. At a business level, they are used to sell the best image, and in those specialized in fashion, that "best image" is associated with male and female models with bodies considered attractive.

With the rise of the Internet on a global level and the popularization of social exchange platforms this phenomenon has expanded, and where before we saw models with perfect bodies promoting a clothing collection, now we see them in almost any sector. Advertising in recent times, whether from local businesses or large multinationals has been led by faces and bodies socially qualified as ideal, not representing the diversity of shapes, sizes and sizes of the human body.

This undoubtedly controversial topic, leads to the analysis of questions such as: what is the perfect body? what or who defines the trends about ideal bodies? what is body diversity? is there representation of endomorphic bodies in these platforms?

This lesson will explain the details of this phenomenon and encourage reflection on the subject. Does the perfect body exist?

No, beauty is as relative as any other abstract category. What one person identifies as beautiful or attractive does not necessarily have to be so for another. However, at a societal level it seems that there is a shared opinion about ideal bodies.

Without generalizing, because exceptions in these matters are frequent, for periods of time, the society prefers as beautiful, types of faces, shapes and bodies over others; we say for periods of time because undoubtedly the canons of beauty change as trends are renewed.

At the beginning of this century, the most revered female bodies were those slim with striking attributes, so much so that cosmetic surgeries for breast enlargement became tremendously popular. Today, many of the women who used implants in those years have them removed. The trend is not the same, it is no longer as attractive. This is further evidence that there is no such thing as a perfect body and that what is attractive or not is socially defined by the trends of the moment. Who establishes the canons of beauty?

While it is clear that what is identified as beautiful or not at the societal level is determined by trends, who is responsible for driving them?

The giants of fashion and beauty need the public's admiration for physical attributes in order to exist. They set the trends of what is socially beautiful, fashionable and attractive, and are supported by the media and influencers. What we admire in social networks is the result of the psychosocial and communicational work of large corporations. Naturally, once the standard of beauty is established, it is replicated by brands from multiple sectors until it reaches all layers of the population. What is body diversity?

With the social evolution of humanity itself, the analysis of terms such as body diversity has flourished. Latent discrimination against people whose physiques are not represented by beauty standards is an issue that has sparked debate around the importance of recognizing bodily diversity.

This term is used to refer to the distinctions that characterize human bodies, such as size, color, race. Although we have general classifications that group bodies into ectomorphs, mesomorphs and endomorphs, there is no physique equal to another, so accepting and respecting our differences is fundamental.

Body diversity in social networks: Platforms such as Instagram and Tiktok have been accused of preponderating content of "attractive" people while disfavoring accounts with physiques that do not apply to the established canons of beauty, mostly individuals with malformations or obesity.

This situation is being reversed as content creators on social networks attack body discrimination and try to show reality. This does not mean that there are no muscular men or slim and naturally toned women, it is not about avoiding discrimination towards people with endomorphic bodies and attacking those who are not like that; it is about showing, accepting and respecting the diversity that characterizes us as a species.

Fashion and beauty companies, along with digital media are also undergoing positive transformations, as more inclusion is evident in advertising campaigns launched on social networks where the models used have diverse measurements and skin colors. Mental health affectations: The constant comparison with the bodies we see on social networks, often retouched with editing tools, has caused a series of problems that affect the mental health of users.

These symptoms are especially evident in people who suffer from previous emotional disorders associated with low self-esteem or depression, and depend largely on the level of maturity of the subject, with adolescents usually being the most affected; on the other hand, the social circle and cultural context are factors that determine the degree of incidence of the content consumed through social networks.

A study conducted by the Royal Society for Public Health in the United Kingdom with a sample of 1500 young people aged 14-24 years, yielded results that stated that of all social networks, Instagram is the one that most influences the perception of body image, causing symptoms of anxiety, depression, fear of social exclusion, and bullying in these young people.

The way to combat this phenomenon is social transformation through education. Unfortunately, every year there are more and more cases of anorexia, bulimia and suicides caused by depression due to the lack of self-acceptance of the physique and the search to imitate the "perfect". Debating with transparency about body diversity is fundamental to achieve changes in society.