The ‘Be Real’ campaign and body positivity…

The Be Real Campaign founded in 2014 in partnership with the brand Dove has released concerning statistics in its recent ‘In Your Face’ report regarding the issue of young people being bullied and that one of the main factors regarding this was about their looks. Statistics show that 60% of youths admitted they tried to change their appearance after being bullied and 24% said they reduced the amount they ate or went on a diet.

Denise Hatton, Chief Executive for YMCA England & Wales, said: “Bullying has always existed among young people, but this generation face increasing pressure to live up to unrealistic beauty ideals which they say come from celebrities, social media and the media. It’s crucial that we teach young people how to feel comfortable in their own body and that looking different isn’t a bad thing.”

With the everlasting dominance social media plays within our lives and society, is it fair to say that within our culture we’re beginning to see a shift in where the problem and effects of representations and ‘ideals’ lie and so therefore, perhaps social media is more of an issue with regards to this than traditional media such as magazines. However, that does not mean that the liability of media industries is void and the need for change with regards to the images reflected within our magazines and advertisements has any less of an importance. This is evident when considering the fact that these ‘idealised’ images are presented to us as reflecting reality and the ‘norm’, when actually it’s a marginalised stereotype.

The concerning issue of body image and appearance for young people and the detrimental effects of this seems a poignant reason of why a more broadened, realistic representation is significant within society. Young people are both impressionable and vulnerable and for the majority, living in a social media hyped era, it’s all about getting those likes, comments and reactions in order to feel validated amongst their peers and to feel accepted.

Therefore, what can be done to ensure that our Facebook and Instagram accounts stop brainwashing us to believe an ideal that ultimately, we ourselves are in control of? One of the most powerful aspects of social media is that the audience are also the producers. We are in control of what we see and what we react to, therefore surely a place to start would be to filter the amount we consume and begin to use this amazing tool to advocate positivity rather than negativity? Filtering the amount of content, we consume and see on social media could potentially be a beneficial factor to begin with, however as individuals we have almost been conditioned by the media to believe the generic ‘norm’ presented to us throughout our magazines and on our TV screens. How are we supposed to break-away from the vicious circle?

Last year, the NSPCC released worrying statistics regarding the amount of calls to Childline referring to personal appearance. In 2016, it gave almost 2,000 counselling sessions to girls with body image related concerns, which was of a higher rate compared to just 256 given to boys. This significant difference between girls and boys, highlights how this issue can no longer be ignored and more needs to be done about tackling the society’s marginalised ideals of ‘beauty’.

The vicious circle seems ever more poignant within our daily lives, admittedly this is an issue that does not just affect young people, indeed as we grow up, we all seem to conform to the ‘ideal’ and can’t seem to shift our mindsets to believe anything different than what we’ve been ‘conditioned’ and told is true. However, in influencing and helping younger generations to not be blinded by the unrealistic portrayals, perhaps this could work towards igniting a more positive and confident outlook within society.

Speaking to Maria Goodwin the CEO of YMCA Paignton, she states how the YMCA help young people to overcome body dysmorphia and how they advocate body positivity. I also got the opportunity to speak to a few young girls to gain their perspectives regarding women in magazines and advertisements and to gain their opinion on whether we should all just be ourselves.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *