The Impact of Beauty Standards & Social Media on Mental Health

The ability to edit and add filters has taken over social media. People can create fake personas, therefore enhancing the existing, unrealistic beauty standards that we are surrounded by, including the want to be thinner and to lose unhealthy amounts of weight. As a result, many people—especially teenagers—are insecure and have higher levels of self-doubt (Hetherington, 2023). The constant exposure to beauty norms causes people to frequently question their appearance and seek validation. People exposed to our society’s beauty standards can lead to the erosion of self-esteem, body image issues, and eating disorders, which take a toll on people emotionally and mentally.

Social media exposes individuals to edited versions of others, further reinforcing these unrealistic beauty standards. People then try to fit into these standards and compare themselves to unrealistic images, which lowers their self-esteem. People will ignore their more unique features and try to fit in conventionally; they become unsatisfied with how they look. Furthermore, edited versions of people can make it seem as if one’s body type isn’t “desirable” just because it does not fit the popular expectations found on the internet or on screen. Consequently, people develop the assumption that they are not good enough unless they look a certain way. Social media has led to widespread dissatisfaction with body image amongst teenagers worldwide, reaching the point where a lot of individuals associate weight as a key element of their identity and many teenagers try to change their body type to fit in with the conventional standard (Hawkins, 2014). This leads to lower self-esteem because many individuals associate a positive body image with positive self-esteem. To fit in with the standard, so many individuals are terrified to gain weight. Thus, people are surrounded by new diet products, unhealthy and even dangerous eating practices, and unrealistic standards all found on social media. Ultimately, the emotional effects of constant social media use can drive people to participate in dangerous habits to “improve” their appearance according to societal norms.

In addition, the need to look a certain way can lead to the development of certain mental health disorders and exacerbate existing mental health issues. For example, when a person becomes extremely hyper-fixated on their figure image, there is a high chance that they can be afflicted by body dysmorphic disorder. Individuals with this disorder are absorbed by what they observe as “flaws” in their physical appearance (APA, 2019). These “flaws” are not necessarily noticeable to other people, or they are very minor (APA, 2019). Many people with this disorder will express repetitive behaviors such as constantly comparing themselves to others and checking what they look like in the mirror (APA, 2019.) Also, it is important to notice that these behaviors aren’t typical concerns, they’re intrusive and extremely hard to control (APA, 2019). Some individuals with BDD may spend lots of money on plastic surgery to feel satisfied with their body image. Alongside other mental health disorders, eating disorders are commonly formed when individuals are extremely focused on obtaining a certain body shape. Anorexia nervosa, a disorder commonly associated with body dysmorphia, is the fear of gaining weight. For instance, an individual may believe they are “overweight” even if they are extremely underweight. Another eating disorder that can be caused by the need to look a certain way is bulimia nervosa. It is important to notice that this is an eating disorder with distinct differences from anorexia. Although both disorders share body dissatisfaction and concern with weight, a person with bulimia nervosa will engage in binge eating. Binge eating is when an individual uncontrollably frequently consumes large portions of food in one sitting. After a binge eating episode, a person with bulimia nervosa may feel guilt, shame, etc, resulting in behaviors such as purging, self-induced vomiting, and excessive exercise afterward. Alongside eating disorders, anxiety and depression are common results of the pressure to present a perfect version of oneself on social media. 

The influence of beauty standards spread throughout social media has left a significant mark on the mental well-being of individuals. The relentless need to meet idealized expectations, which are created by edits and filters, has led to a distorted perception of people’s own identities and bodies. This perception has led to an increase in many mental health disorders and the need for validation from external factors. If you or anyone you know is suffering from an eating disorder, please feel free to contact counseling and guidance.