Surprisingly, electronic social media is nothing new. It began around 1997 when the platform Six Degrees was launched. It had a similar set up to most platforms today: sign up with an email address, create a profile, and invite your friends to chat with you. Since 1997, the number of users of social media has dramatically risen.
According to Statista, there are currently 2.96 billion social media users worldwide while in 1997 there were approximately 3.5 million. Statista also shows that women utilize social media more than men. Even though Facebook dominates in the number of users, I found that Instagram remains the most popular for the women at the University of Denver. So, what are the repercussions of the high use of social media in today’s world?
Sophia Cianfrani, a junior at the University of Denver, explains that social media has affected her in more negative ways than positive, because people purposely modify their life and experiences, and portray them through a filtered lens.
“When you open a social media platform all you see is the best part of each person’s life,” Cianfrani says. “Whether that truly reflects how they live or not, it is hard not to compare your everyday life to someone else’s highlight.”
In fact, comparison is the number one reason many people told me they feel social media– especially Instagram– can be harmful.
Research from Florida House Experience, a mental health and addiction treatment facility, found that a “whopping 88 percent of women said they compare themselves to images in the media, with half saying the comparison is unfavorable.”
Doctor Rachel Liberman, a professor at the University of Denver and fellow Instagram user, describes this negative cycle as “social comparison.” She discusses how the concept is not simply about comparing each other’s virtual lives but rather comparing physical appearances.
“Women are often socialized to compare their bodies from the moment they realize that there is a body image to think about,” Liberman says. “Instagram and Tik Tok are popular among a younger generation because these platforms are image based and simple.”
The issue of comparing one’s self to others on social media does not end at DU, it is a global problem. According to a study conducted by Jennifer S Mills and Jacqueline V Hogue, researchers at York University, females tend to compare themselves with others they feel are “more attractive than themselves.”
During this experiment they divided 118 female undergraduate students aged 18–27 into two groups. Those in the first group logged into Facebook and Instagram for five minutes and were asked to find one peer of roughly the same age whom they “explicitly considered more attractive” than themselves.
Next, the researchers asked all of the participants to comment on the photos of their peers. In the control group, the women logged into Facebook or Instagram for at least 5 minutes and left a comment on a post of a family member whom they did not consider more attractive.
The final results showed that when the participants interacted with images of those who they felt were more attractive to themselves, they tended to feel worse about their own looks because they compared their looks with the ones through the screen. However, when the participants interacted with family member’s photos, their self-esteem did not change.
Mills commented on the results saying, “Even if they felt bad about themselves before, they came into the study, on average they still felt worse after completing the task.”
Not only has “social comparison” been proven to be harmful to mental health but it could also hurt your physical health. Research has shown that the use of social media could be a component of a multitude of eating disorders.
According to a study conducted by Wendy Spettigue M.D and Katherine A. Henderson Ph.D., “Media is a causal risk factor for the development of eating disorders and has a strong influence on a person’s body dissatisfaction, eating patterns, and poor self-concept.”
One known eating disorder caused by social media is Orthorexia. Orthorexia is an affliction where people become obsessed with healthy eating or the pursuit of a healthy diet. This could easily lead to malnutrition, as those affected have anxiety about not having the perfect diet and body. This eating disorder mainly affects the “healthy eating community” or those who post healthy foods on Instagram.
Although social media causes harm, many people feel there is hope to stop negative impacts from spreading to future generations. They believe that the way to help stop harmful thoughts and actions is through education.
Educating young people on the appropriate use of social media could help prevent harmful actions and increase awareness about the unrealistic beauty portrayals seen through social media platforms. Education could also help young people make healthier choices earlier on in life.
As a mother of two young boys, Liberman spoke honestly about her struggles with her own body image and her attempts to speak positively for her children.
“As a mother, I want to set a good example for my boys by not speaking poorly of my own body even though I have insecurities,” told Liberman. “I want to educate them, at a young age, on how to properly use social media in hopes they do not become obsessed.”
It can be difficult in this day and age to limit our time on social media, because it is how many people feel connected and interact on a daily basis. A survey shows that internet users spend an average of 2 hours and 22 minutes daily on social networking sites and messaging platforms.
Maryrose Axtell, a sophomore at the University of Denver, says she mainly uses Instagram and talks about how she sometimes feels body conscious when scrolling past celebrities and models. Even though she experiences unfavorable thoughts about her body she still sees potential for the future of social media.
“I think we’re on the right track and we’re recognizing what is happening with social media and being much more conscious about it,” says Axtell.
As I wonder for myself about the future of social media, I am left without a definitive answer. Will there be regulations? What other platforms will come out by the time I have kids? Even though I do not have answers about how to prevent body image problems, I agree with others that education is the key to saving lives. Through education we will be able to promote confidence with hopes it will stick.
“I’m hoping that more and more women become more confident in themselves and don’t let social media influence the way they see their bodies,” says Blakley Weber, freshman at the University of Denver.
The MFJS Reporter -- Winter 2020 T-R 