Social Media & Body Image
213.4 x 213.4 cm
Not For Sale
Daily exposure to the unrealistic beauty standards depicted on social media has serious, damaging effects to the body images and mental health of its users. With billions of users worldwide, this is an issue that can affect anyone who uses social media, but it especially affects young girls and women. Although social media is consumed for short-term entertainment, the effects could potentially be long-lasting. For this reason, I chose to focus on this topic to find out how deeply social media changes us, to justify any feelings of self-consciousness, anxiety, and depression we feel when scrolling through our feeds. With statistics reporting that 9 in 10 teenage girls say that they are unhappy with their body and that 70% are at risk for developing an eating disorder, I needed to bring awareness to the significance of this issue. I used motion graphics, illustrations, type, and imagery within my projects to tell the story of how social media actually influences people. Moreover, I highlighted key points from my research to emphasize the severity. Once the issue was clear, I made sure to include resources of organizations and experts who are already advocating and working for change. Rather than feeling the pressure to change ourselves, the focus should be put on exposing social media and the creators who are allowing deceptive content.