7 Ways Social Media Can Harm Your Body Image and What You Can Do About It

Social media is a staple in most people’s lives. It can be an excellent way to stay in touch with people and keep up with topics of interest. But it can also do a lot of harm—in more ways than traditional media. For example, using social media platforms can have a negative impact on your body image.¹

From seeing perfectly curated pictures of perfectly groomed people and comparing yourself to these unrealistic images to posting pictures of yourself and getting fat-shamed, there are many ways using social media can make you feel bad about yourself and want to change how you look. Because social media apps are engineered to attract viewers and keep them coming back for more content, it’s easy to get sucked into a negative pattern of thinking, which can lead to harmful behaviors, eating disorders, and body image concerns. 

The more you know about the dangers and their effects, the less likely you are to engage in potentially harmful social media practices and develop body image issues. 

7 Ways Social Media Can Harm Your Body Image

Here are several ways creating and interacting with social media content could negatively affect your body image. When you’re more aware of the harm this can do, you can approach social media content with a more critical eye and learn to resist immersing yourself in specific content.

1. Posting Photos of Your Body

Uploading photos and seeking feedback are closely identified with poor body image.² Many social media users seek attention and external validation to feel better about themselves. But you can’t control what reactions you receive, and not getting the positive feedback you’re looking for and getting negative feedback can increase body dissatisfaction.

2. Seeing Perfect People

It’s easy to come across curated social media images. Influencers find the perfect background, invest in great lighting, and pose multiple times before finding the most flattering pose. 

Viewers are not aware of the hard work behind social media posts. Instead, they believe all these people look beautiful all the time and tend to want to look like the influencers they follow.

Researchers say engaging with content created by women who had plastic surgery led to young women wanting cosmetic enhancements.³ Social media can normalize unusual body shapes and sizes. The more you look at surgically thin or shapely people, the more you may believe you need to change your body dramatically. 

3. Finding Pro-Ana Content 

Anorexia is a life-threatening mental illness. People with anorexia often can’t see how dangerous their activities are and create content to inspire others to slim down and diet. 

Content like this often includes harmful tips that promote disordered eating behaviors. Some users also post photos of their bodies and ask others to rate or tell them how much weight to lose. Seeing these photos can result in having a distorted body image. 

4. Using Filters

Apps like Instagram and TikTok come with computer-generated filters that allow viewers to manipulate their appearance. 

These filters allow people to make their bodies fatter or thinner, for example. With a quick tap, you can turn the filter on and off and see what you’ll look like when you’re bigger or smaller. 

Playing with your appearance like this can distort your body image and persuade you to want to change your body and your eating habits. You may have had a neutral or positive body image but have a negative one after seeing filtered photos. This can very easily lead to disordered eating behaviors that can have serious medical consequences. 

5. Seeing Targeted Ads

After engaging with body positivity content, social media users are also targeted with weight loss advertisements.⁵ Seeing ads suggesting you need to diet or lose weight can lead you to believe you should change your body. 

These messages can be persistent and very hard to ignore. Don’t let advertising make you question your body weight.

6. Interacting With Your Peers

Social media sites depend on relationships. When your followers see your posts, they’re encouraged to react to them or somehow give you feedback. While this can give you the affirmation you may be seeking, it can also leave you more vulnerable to not enough feedback or negative comments, or suggestions that can have damaging results, such as recommendations to lose weight. 

7. Being Bullied 

How to Fight Back

The easiest way to address the problem of social media and body image is to delete your accounts. 

Many people enjoy social media, for example, because it allows them to stay in touch with family members, classmates, and their community. 

The key is to remember that you control your social media accounts. They don’t control you. These six steps can help you be more cautious about the content you post and choose to interact with:

1. Watch the Clock

More than half of all teens say they spend just about the right amount of time online.⁷ But exactly how much time is that? 

Designate one week to phone-only social media access. Use tools on your phone to measure how long you spend on each platform. Then, think about what else you could do with that time. 

You don’t have to eliminate your social media channels altogether. Instead, look for ways to enjoy your time offline, away from negative influences. 

2. Opt Out

If you see an ad you don’t like, report it. Tell the app developers why it harms your body image and encourage them to create new content. Then, block that advertiser from reaching out to you again. 

If a creator’s work makes you feel bad about your body, block or unfollow their account.

3. Choose Body Neutrality

You’re not required to follow harmful creators. Plenty of people, groups, and organizations make body-neutral content, which takes the focus off appearance, defining self-worth by physical appearance and placing value on appearance only. 

Search for others who post body neutrality, body acceptance, and body-positive content. Notice how you feel when you engage with this content. You may feel better about yourself. 

4. Amplify What You Love 

Social media sites can cultivate negativity and disagreement, as people tend to engage with this kind of content more frequently. But you can choose not to engage with content like this and populate your newsfeed with content you love that makes you feel good about yourself.  

If someone shares content that resonates with you in a positive way, tell them. If a brand uses plus-size models that make you feel good, thank them. Encourage others to create content that makes people feel better, not worse. 

5. Share Carefully

Before you post anything on a social media site, think about your motivation. Are you hoping people will say nice things about your body? Is showing your body at all really required? 

6. Talk to Someone

If you’ve followed these steps and you’re still struggling, consider reaching out to someone you trust or seeking help from a therapist. These negative thoughts can be hard to handle alone, and a mental health professional can help you work through your feelings and give you coping strategies to use. Don’t be afraid to ask for the help you need.