28 Nov How social media is driving male body dysmorphia
The pressure on women and girls to achieve the perfect face and body has been well documented. Campaigners and charities have been raising awareness of the online presence of influencers, celebrities’ filters and the narcissistic algorithmic amplification of social media for years. Likewise, men and boys now appear to be under the persuasive technological bombardment of body perfection.
The drive to gain followers, likes, and engagement often fuels Influencers on social media platforms such as YouTube, TikTok and Instagram to push for popularity and profit. Demigods sell a persuasive narrative to bulk up, get surgery and provide easy click links to purchase protein shakes and body-enhancing supplements; an easy Google search or, better still, asking a medical professional will highlight the pros and cons of diet alterations, especially for underage boys.
Encouraging young men to get fit and active is great, and most boys and men will undoubtedly benefit from the endless stream of body beautiful gurus found on social media platforms. Nonetheless, once the algorithms have picked up your interest, what follows is the constant ping of notifications and suggestions with the aim of keeping you engaged and using; for most individuals, this is no problem; however, for some, the constant barrage of perfect images, comparisons and need for validation can become overwhelming and potentially, trigger mental health issues.
Presented with hyper-masculinity, washboard stomachs, and perfect legs or arms, young boys can potentially be exposed to steroid use, protein powders, obsessive eating routines, supplement taking and body dysmorphia. Many will argue that this is nothing new; beauty and body perfection has always brought popularity and insecurity; however, never have individuals faced such a constant barrage of unrealistic images with online fix-it solutions without editorial screening. The response from governments globally is to concentrate on legislating social media companies against harmful content. For example, in Germany, NetzDG (The Network enforcement law) has decreased the timeline for social media companies to remove harmful content, with robust fines if there is failure to do so; many argue that it is an excellent solution, holding social media companies liable. However, NetzDG has recently come under fierce criticism from human rights organisations. David Kaye, the UN High Commissioner for Human rights, challenged the law, commenting that this kind of strict enforcement raises grave concerns about allowing private networks’ public powers to regulate online content. Therefore, considering freedom of speech coupled with the speed of ever-evolving technology and the ability of every generation to sidestep the rules better than the one before, parents are left to cope with fewer hours in the day to deal with even more hurdles.
So what can we do? The partial answer is education. Exposing the motives behind celebrity influence can empower individuals to develop resilience, make informed choices, or become wise to the persuasive technology controlling and affecting their mental health.
As parents, we need to be aware of what content our children are viewing; easier said than done when most teenage communication involves a series of grunts, raised eyebrows and expressions of utter disapproval and embarrassment. There is also the genuine concern of invasion of privacy or the technological genius of an eleven-year-old to keep hidden something that could raise the alarm.
If an Amazon driver suddenly appears with a delivery of weights or your son suggests that your living room could double up as a home gym, don’t panic. If it’s a teenager you are dealing with, adolescence has probably kicked in, and the whole family will most likely benefit from him now independently brushing his teeth more regularly. It’s probably harmless, even a relief, to think that your son is watching fitness videos on YouTube rather than searching for something unmentionable on the dark web. However, it’s always good to be aware if your child has started buying protein shakes and supplements, obsessing over calories or diet regimes or showing signs of depression and anxiety. Try to raise the conversation and keep open a healthy dialogue.
For a course that aims at building awareness and resilience to make healthy choices before the reason to worry, contact info@thelightbulblearners.com
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