Instagram and the negative feelings it creates about your appearance
Whether you accept it or not, Instagram changes our understanding of beauty. We are constantly posting photos on Instagram and seeing images of others, which alters our perception of physical beauty. Social media, especially Instagram, can skew our view of our own bodies to be either overly positive or overly negative. Thus, it is crucial to understand its effect on our mental health in this important lifestyle section.SelMagzWe will explain more about this.
Negative effects of Instagram on our body image
Although Instagram can have positive impacts on some users’ mental health, its negative effects, especially regarding your body image, are generally more pronounced.
Instagram can lead to addictive behaviors and contribute to eating disorders and exacerbate genetic issues. While it has not yet been proven that Instagram directly causes mental disorders, it may create a foundation for some of them.
Women often constantly compare their appearance with others on social networks like Instagram and Facebook. Young women who spend a lot of time on Instagram generally feel worse about their looks, especially when comparing themselves to very young girls. Consequently, this behavior leads to mental health issues, and most do not have a positive perception of their bodies.
A survey was conducted with a thousand men and women, focusing on their body image and social media.Self-esteemThe survey revealed that 87% of women and 65% of men compare their bodies and physical appearance with images posted on social networks and Instagram.
In this comparison, 50% of women and 37% of men are not satisfied with their current state. Their definitions of beauty become distorted as this platform skilfully enhances photos.
Features related to selfies have a powerful impact on altering individuals’ bodies and faces, which can even be applied through makeup. These edited photos create a false belief among individuals that they can make their bodies resemble those in the images and attract more attention. This misguided connection between perception and reality increases the gap between how users feel about themselves in real life and what they think about their online presence.
Users should be informed and aware of the negative effects of social media on their understanding of their own bodies, as these results could lead to mental health problems.
Solution: How can we prevent these issues?
Fortunately, there are preventative measures for every problem, especially those created by Instagram, although more extensive research is still required. Researchers and psychologists have not yet provided the best solutions for addressing these issues.
The only proven solution is to put down your smartphone.
Don’t pay too much attention to edited photos of celebrities.
Shift your focus away from social media posts and followers.
Avoid social media platforms like Instagram as much as possible, which can be very difficult for some individuals.
If you’re interested in Instagram, follow pages related to children, delicious foods, and natural landscapes to remind yourself that there are more beautiful things in the world. This is not a guaranteed solution, but it can be a step in the right direction.
There are also other strategies to foster a positive image of who you are, including:
Keep your connections with pages that provide a healthy lifestyle and genuine information.
Do not look at images that show how influencers edit their bodies in photos.
Unfollow accounts that aim to sell beauty products to you.
Do not say negative things about your body; especially try to distance yourself from Instagram and be more active in real life.
Instagram users should learn to take their self-esteem seriously first and foremost.
A negative body image and low self-esteem can lead to mental health issues such asanxietyanddepression.Teenagers should also learn various ways to use social media and increase their awareness of the realities of Instagram.
So, the best strategy is to learn more.
Social media, including Instagram, creates many mental challenges for you. Therefore, you need to proceed with mental awareness.
Feeling ugly
