Body Dysmorphia; how has social media has affected it?
By Manuela Gomez
Have you ever stared at yourself in the mirror and realized that your mind isn’t showing you the reality of what you look like? Body Dysmorphia is a mental state in which your mind is busy looking/making up imperfections of your body that no one else can notice. Although, Body Dysmorphia has been around for a while social media has only made it worse in the recent years. Social media, the addiction in which you start to compare yourself with people you watch and follow. Then you put this expectation of yourself that you should look a certain way. We tend to forget that even social media isn’t portraying the whole truth. According to the article Frontiers, 29% of people with higher social media usage have Body Dysmorphia compared to, 19% of people that have a lower usage. Here are some ways that you can help improve your BD:
- Replace your negative thoughts with the positive (Ex: I look ugly today- I look and feel amazing)
- Start changing the habit of analyzing yourself in the mirror every day, stand in front of it and give yourself positive affirmations
- If you want to change something about your body then do it, but in healthy way
- Surround yourself with healthy people and habits
- Less social media time
Body Dysmorphia is not uncommon. It is treatable with the right professional and the effort you put into it. Don’t let your reality get lost because you see what others don’t see.
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1324092/full
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