By Melanie Robinson
For parents of teen girls, it’s normal to hear complaints about not feeling pretty enough or wanting to look more like a celebrity — but when does the complaint become a real body-image issue? According to researchers at the Dove Self Esteem Project, teens are scrolling on social media apps an average of 1.5 hours every day, and most of what they are seeing is contributing to poor body image and self-esteem. So, if your teen seems to be making a lot of comments about her dissatisfaction with her appearance, it could be what she is watching that is making her feel this way.
As an adult, it’s easy to see how social media can cause these feelings. Almost every day, I get ads on my Facebook and Instagram feeds for fillers and plastic surgery services. The algorithms on these social media platforms learn what my age range is and begin to send me targeted ads. These platforms know their audience, and it is easy to see how social media can affect teens’ feelings about their appearance.
What can we do to address this problem? The first step is having an honest discussion about how social media works. Most top influencers have a team to help create that perfect pic, and even after that shot is chosen for posting, there’s usually some type of editing and/or airbrushing involved. Sit down with your teen, look through her feed together and ask her which images she believes are authentic and which she believes are edited. Ask how she feels about the bodies she sees and whether she finds them realistic.
The Dove Self Esteem Project states that six in 10 teenage girls believe that social media creates unrealistic expectations of beauty standards. Having that open discussion can show your teen you understand how she feels. Help her find influencers who have healthy messages about beauty and appearance by following hashtags #bodypositivity #nofilter #celebratemysize and #beautybeyondsize, for example.
Secondly, talk about the social media “highlight reel.” Most of the time, people post only the good things in their lives. Although it can be nice to see those idealized moments, it can make your child feel like her life isn’t exciting or fulfilling enough. Remind your teen that the influencers she follows are getting paid to post that highlight reel, and these posts are planned and carefully produced.
Last, but not least, encourage your teen to follow people who post about things that aren’t related to appearance, such as a hobby she is interested in. Filling her feed with positive, realistic images and ideas will help her to think of herself as a whole person beyond her appearance. For more information and resources, follow The Dove Self Esteem Project at https://www. dove.com/us/en/dove-self-esteem-project. html.
Melanie Robinson is a music and theater instructor at Rock U 2 in Ocean Springs, a proud military wife and former Elite Mrs. Mississippi, as well as a body positivity advocate. Reach