In 2015, at the tender age of 16, Kylie Jenner got her first lip fillers. And according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, there was a 16 percent increase in hyaluronic acid lip injections that year. It’s no surprise that Instagram influencers, YouTubers and Pinterest models are seen as the pinnacle of fame in 2018.
Think about it. How many times have you gotten out of bed and searched for outfit inspiration online? You finally decide on an outfit and look in the mirror. All of a sudden you’re horrified. While most people would never notice your one crooked tooth or uneven eyes, you can’t look in the mirror without obsessing over these flaws. They may not even be as bad as you think they are, but it’s all you see. If this is a frequent occurrence for you, you might have Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD).
BDD is a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder, characterized by an intense preoccupation with a perceived physical flaw. It manifests itself in ways such as imagined ugliness, body comparison, avoiding mirrors and excessive grooming. According to the National Library of Medicine, 1.7 percent to 2.4 percent of the population in the United States is affected by BDD, which translates to approximately 1 in 50 people.
While BDD has been acknowledged by medical professionals since the 1980s, the recent rise of social media within the past decade has completely changed the way people experience it. Social media is still being scrutinized for its effect on young people’s self perception. A recent study by the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) revealed Instagram to be the most harmful social media app for young people’s mental health.
“I don’t see many people [who have similar features as me] whose beauty is praised or celebrated on social media, so I typically end up comparing myself to women with lighter skin and long straight hair and invalidating my own potential for beauty,” Natalia Perez, senior mass communication major, said.
Still, some perceive social media as minimally harmful. “It [social media] is a good confidence boost, but posting photos and trying to figure out a caption is unnecessarily complicated,” said Christina Robinson, senior public relations major.
The relationship between social media and BDD is very real and is increasingly challenging for many young adults. As a young adult myself, I can certainly attest to the pressure to have a perfect social media presence. Social media is now an extension of oneself; it’s not merely for pleasure.
I conducted my own survey on Instagram to see what my followers thought. I wanted to see how people I knew felt about the relationship between social media and body image. Out of the 134 followers who replied, 68 percent reported feeling less attractive after spending time on social media, and 75 percent believed that social media is more harmful for body image than helpful. Sixty percent of participants considered themselves attractive while 40 percent did not.
While these numbers were relatively high, they didn’t surprise me. I just hope that one day I will live in a world where I can put together a cute outfit without looking at Dua Lipa’s Instagram.
Image credit: Erik Lucatero