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6 Personalities Open Up on Body Image and Social Media Pressure; Here’s What We Can Learn From Them

6 Personalities Open Up on Body Image and Social Media Pressure; Here’s What We Can Learn From Them

These people get real: shedding all edits, filters and pretenses

 

 

The struggle to love my body for all that it is (and the fact that I wasn’t as driven as others to lose weight) was hard, especially since I spend most of my time online. Social media plays a role in warping your notion of your own body image. There was always this pressure to look a certain way, all the more when you grow up in an era where the internet’s obsession was on the unattainable: thigh gaps, tiny waists and other impossible beauty standards. You get the picture.

 

In an article, Insider broke down how social media usage affects our perception of ourselves. If we’re constantly surrounded by social media posts projecting the “idealized” body, then it’s more likely for it to negatively impact our image of ourselves. It’s in the simple things, like face-sculpting filters and fitspo accounts to “motivate” us. In the same turn, “body positive” content would have a positive effect on you and the way you view your body.

 

Thankfully, there are personalities shattering the unrealistic standards of what we’re supposed to look like. These individuals, slowly but surely, are becoming more candid about their own struggles with their body, as well as the pressure social media puts on them. You’d think that the picture perfect celebrity would have it all, right? No struggles, no pain, no battles to fight and no insecurities. 

 

But they’re coming forward and telling us that there’s more than meets the eye. They're recognizing how social media can help, to an extent, while also telling us of its unspoken power. Perhaps they can teach us a thing or two about dealing with our own journey towards loving oneself and the pressure to put up a front that we have it all together.

 

RELATED: These Women Are Teaching Me to Love My Pear-Shaped Body

 

Ariana Grande

 

@arianagrande

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? original sound – arianagrande

 

This generation’s upcoming Glinda the Good Witch, Ariana Grande, takes to TikTok to call out those who comment a lot on her recent weight loss (and her body in general). “I think we should be gentler and less comfortable in commenting on people’s bodies no matter what,” she says in a candid video. Ariana uses the comparisons to her old body as a case, pointing out that what many consider her healthiest version was actually her unhealthiest. “I was on a lot of antidepressants, drinking on them and eating poorly,” she divulges. Here, Ariana emphasizes that “healthy can look different.” Your overall wellness and health don’t always boil down to what people see on the outside. But instead, the way you treat it with the care it needs.

 

Kryz Uy

 

One of the pioneer fashion bloggers of the Philippines, Kryz Uy, sat down in her most recent vlog to talk about her journey with body image, Photoshop and her first salvo into fashion blogging with the site Lookbook (wow, talk about core memory unlocked!) Even someone content with how she looked was pressured into looking a different way because of unrealistically edited photos. She was brave to revisit these and talk about her own discoveries about herself. In the video, she also narrates her journey to self-acceptance. There’s really more than what we see on the internet—and we shouldn’t beat ourselves up if we don’t look like we have it as good as the people we look up to. 

 

Angel Locsin

 

The OG Darna of our childhoods also experienced the unrelenting criticism of social media. When she returned to TV after a short hiatus, people took to the internet to discuss her weight gain. In a televised interview, she admits that there are times where she gets annoyed when people think that her body is their business. But instead of engaging, she decides to look the other way and give them time. Angel’s protecting her own peace, refusing to listen to anyone about her body.

 

Khloé Kardashian

 

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A post shared by Khloé Kardashian (@khloekardashian)

 

The Kardashian sister opens up about her relationship with her body image in an Instagram post. After flexing her body, raw, unedited and unretouched, she proceeds to talk about how she’s been subjected to unrealistic standards herself. Always damned if you’re trying to show a side you want others to see and damned if you’re being real and unashamed; can she ever win? But now Khloé’s taking control over what how she presents herself because it makes her feel good. She's no longer fitting herself in the mold the public carved out for her; a strong statement in an age and time where her actions are being picked apart by everyone.

 

Jonah Hill

 

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Yes, not even males are spared from the Internet’s scrutiny. Jonah Hill claps back at a tabloid story implying that there’s something wrong with a human enjoying their time at the beach. You know, no shirt and all. He teaches us that the self-love journey is a long process with or without a revenge body. But once he’s reached a point where he’s embraced his own self, he’s paying it forward and being a model for those kids who are in the same place.

 

Demi Lovato

 

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A post shared by Demi Lovato (@ddlovato)

 

Demi has always been vocal and candid about her experience with her body image and living with an eating disorder. While she's an advocate for body positivity and mental health, she admits that she used to have her own insecurities. In an Instagram post, Demi admits that there are bad days and good days when she talks about her relationship with her body. The process of accepting ourselves isn’t necessarily linear and falling back into the pattern does not make you a failure. What's important is you're actively trying, day in and day out.

 

The singer also released Dancing With The Devil, a four-part documentary narrating her struggles with mental illness and substance abuse that she kept hidden away from the public.

 

RELATED: Loving My Body Is Something I Never Thought Would Happen in Lockdown

 

With social media having been ingrained in our lives for so long, we’ve slowly come to discover we can make these platforms work in our favor. Curate your feeds, follow people whose content makes you feel inspired and invigorated instead of insecure and pressured. 

 

I’m not going to lie, this is easier said than done. The road to confidence and self-love is not a singular path. We’ve got good days and days that feel like we don’t exactly feel ourselves. It’s okay, it’s normal. But as long as you’re trying to start doing things for your own approval, you’re on the right track.

 

 

Art Alexandra Lara

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