Rodnunsky 1

Allegra T. Rodnunsky

Professor Rodrick

English 115

6 December 2018

Social Media Influence

Phones, computers, ipads, and siri has become a necessity for simply living. Our day to

day lives revolve around technology along with social media. The identity of individuals have

been altered and negatively changed due to the mass amount of technology in our world today.

Social media has become a toxic place where the impressionable youth has access to social

media influencers’ lives, which can lead to issues with life envy, body image, and eating

disorders. This content put up daily displays unrealistic body and life expectations that have a

negative effect on people’s mental and physical health. The damaging type of substance that is

constantly in front of our faces has put society in an ugly state of constant jealousy. The life we

live in the century of today is completely consumed by what other people post.

Many people live day to day through their phones, this creates a new universe in itself.

Social media is a world in itself. It has evolved into a mass cooperation that rules most people’s

lives. The article “​"I aspire to look and feel healthy like the posts convey": engagement with

fitness inspiration on social media and perceptions of its influence on health and wellbeing”

states how ​“people look to ​social media​ to connect with each other, create expressions of

self-identity, and seek information” which creates issues on how we view each other and

ourselves ​(​Michell​e, ​Wright​, ​Carrotte​, ​Jenkinson​, ​Mulgrew​, and ​Prichard​). With the original

intention of social media to be a place to connect with old friends and make new friends, it has
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unfortunately backfired creating a black hole of envy and jealousy. We as a society rank people

on how many followers they have how many likes or retweets someone gets, or who has the best

photos; it has become an obsession.

The people who have obtained

millions upon millions of followers

by posting their extravagant life or

perfect, photoshopped bodies are

known as “social media

influencers” and “instagram

models”. Those titles are considered

to be a job to most and is a highly

paid job that gives these people

opportunity to travel and be put into

situations that seem to be like a

dream. While experiencing these

amazing chances they will film and

take photos and post to their

millions of followers, which creates

jealousy and envy to those viewing

it. For example, an “instagram

model” by the name of mylifeaseva posted to her 5.7 million followers the photo below showing

her living what looks like a fantasy, in the Maldives, a destination most people aspire to visit one
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day. Posts like this are not rare, in fact I stumble across a photo or video like this no less than ten

to thirty times a day. I admit that I get get quite upset that I am sitting in class, while this girl is

running around without a care in the world. It seems unfair because this person has an immense

amount of followers she’s able to get free trips to luxury places and all she has to do is post a

photo she would have done anyway and tag the company, which is theluxedestination. This type

of post sparks envy into many people and it makes people reflect on to themselves and ask

questions like “what am I doing wrong?” and “why am I stuck here?”. It makes people feel sad

and worthless that they cannot go on a trip and live a life like this. Scoured through social media

there are travel content that is seen by millions of people leaving them with a sense of

unfulfillment and shame. People are now expected to live up to these false realities of having

enough money to constantly go on trips and one up others on social media over who has the most

followers and best social media presence.

The phenomenon of envious travel photos are not the only content that messes with a

person’s mental health the people in the photos do too. In most cases someone does not solely

post a picture of white sand beaches, someone is almost always in the photo and it tends to be a

physically “perfect” person which leads to issues with body image. Prieler and Choi suggest

“young women may use Facebook primarily for socializing and may encounter pictures of thin

women posted by their peers. Depending on the women’s level of self-esteem or the centrality of

appearance to their self-worth, such social media content may be more or less influential in

eliciting body dissatisfaction.” which is a strong claim (Prieler and Choi 381). These are photos

and videos the authors brings up are beautiful people with fit, tiny bodies in luxury destinations.

When a photo like that is posted for a mass group to see people get “inspired” in an unrealistic
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way. Usually, what happens is someone will see that photo and start to think well if I lose weight

and look like that person I will be able to have a life like that person, which is completely false.

The idea is toxic and ridiculous, no one should have to lose weight to live a better life, but

unfortunately that is what society and social media has ingrained into our brains. Throughout the

past few years, the tables have slightly turned with the new wave of “body acceptance” and

becoming more aware of altered photos. That thought is brought up in the article “Social Media

and Body Image Concerns: Further Considerations and Broader Perspectives”, they believe “that

the internet includes both realistic and unrealistic images, in the longer term some of these

images may lead to less body image concerns and provide a more supportive and naturalistic

environment for young girls.” which is a naive point of view (Williams and Ricciardelli 390). It

does not logically make sense that society is not affected by this type of material when tiny,

petite people are glorified and praised, they are the people in most magazines, commercials,

runways, and social media. They are the people we are shown to look like even if the photo is

photoshopped or altered. Body image has always been a problem, but it has been amplified with

the evolution of technology and social media. It seems everyday I go online and feel insecure

and uncomfortable in my own body after seeing a photo of a tall, slim woman with a tiny waist,

large breasts, thigh gap, and a flat stomach. People will see this type of material and feel

unworthy in their own skin which is sickening and should not still be an issue in 2018.

Insecurities and body image issues from seeing posts from stick thin “instagram models” make

people want to change themselves and lose touch with their own identity and confidence.

It is no wonder women and men feel obligated to look a certain way when these photos

are being shoved down these peoples throats. With beautiful, fit people consistently in online
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feed the feeling of shame in your body arises. This can lead to many different types of eating

disorders throughout all people, most of them being young women. People have the tendency to

compare themselves to others whether it be money, fame, talent, and most often bodies. The

article “Social Media and Body Image Concerns: Further Considerations and Broader

Perspectives” brings up the point that ​“via the internet young women may be exposed to a higher

dose of body images, which are available anytime and everywhere, and this may lead to more

body dissatisfaction.” this is correct ​(Williams and Ricciardelli 390​). ​We look at a photo of an

“instagram model” and want that for yourself and people will do almost anything to obtain even

if it means developing an eating disorder. When people want to lose weight or resist gaining

weight they turn to the idea of less calories equals losing weight. Also, these models promote fad

diets that promises weight loss like “flat tummy tea” and appetite suppressant lollipops, which

creates false expectations. That mentality leads to people developing a bad relationship with

food, anorexia, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, body dysmorphia, pica, over exercising,

using fad diets, and other eating disorders. All of these disorders have an extreme, detrimental

effect on the human body. It is incredibly unhealthy to be doing this to ourselves that so many

people suffer from these issues. It is miserable to see perfect people online, so happy while one

feels insecure and puts their body through torment. Toxic, unrealistic, and a trap for young

insecure viewers are what these posts truly are.

The identities of the new generation are completely controlled and determined by what

we post and what we see online. Our day to day lives have been taken over by what Social Media

has in store for us. Social media has taken over the morals of society and as human beings. We

are living in a world obsessed with social media blades, where we travel, what we look like, and
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who we are associated with. Frankly, it is completely wrong to glorify these people who get

highly paid to post unrealistic body and life expectations. It is time for society to take a step back

and look at life through their eyes instead of a screen.

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Work Cited

Mylifeaseva. “Jumping to Conclusions Like”. Instagram. ​https://www.instagram.com

/p/BdwlJXJjlKC/?hl=en&taken-by=mylifeaseva​. Accessed 9/18/2018.

Prieler, Michael, and Jounghwa Choi. “Broadening the Scope of Social Media Effect Research

on Body Image Concerns”.​ ​SpringerLink,​ Humana Press, 22 August 2014​.

Page # 378 - 388. Accessed 9/15/2018.

Raggatt, Michell​e, ​Cassandra J. C. Wright​, ​Elise Carrotte​, ​Rebecca Jenkinson​, ​Kate

Mulgrew​ and ​Ivanka Prichard​. “​"I aspire to look and feel healthy like the posts

convey": engagement with fitness inspiration on social media and perceptions

of its influence on health and wellbeing”. ​BMC Public Health, Gale, 1​ 0 August

2018. Accessed 09/15/2018.

Williams, Robert J. and Lina A. Ricciardelli. “Social Media and Body Image Concerns:

Further Considerations and Broader Perspectives”. ​SpringerLink, Humana Press,

​ ccessed 09/15/2018.
15 Nov. 2014. Page # 389 - 392.​ A