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Introduction
The issue of the influence of social networks on modern society and, in particular, on the younger generation is actively considered by representatives of various scientific fields. The Instagram social network is particularly popular among users due to an unconventional way of communication – nonverbal and iconic. The possibility of technical solutions when processing photos for posting on the web and an emotional and evaluative background turn Instagram into one of the most popular media resources. As a result, this resource assumes the role of implementing many functions necessary for the existence and development of modern society. Thus, today, the social network is becoming a socio-cultural phenomenon that determines the values, norms, and rules of modern society.
Main body
Instagram is not a random app on one’s phone: it is integrated into the daily lives of many teenage girls. The platform is used as a tool for self-expression, identity formation, and a way for girls to compare themselves with the online community (Agosto et al. 250). Teenagers are looking for approval and rely heavily on the approval of their peers and Instagram followers when posting an image online. As a result, teenage girls tend to post positive and uplifting content to make them look interesting and cute to attract the attention of their subscribers.
Moreover, content posted by teen-adored celebrities creates potential problems for teens watching them—such challenges as physical and social comparison, which leads to dissatisfaction. Most celebrities on media platforms publish images of the “perfect picture.” It fascinates, promotes, and praises a slim and toned body because the ideal of subtlety is associated with positivity, success, and attractiveness (Duffy 138). This leads to the fact that many girls feel pressure and uncertainty if they do not belong to the category of the ideal thin body. Many teenage girls view these images on Instagram and start analyzing themselves. Self-objectification can be a very dangerous action that leads to constant monitoring of how one’s body looks to determine whether it meets the internal standards of appearance of images of the “ideal image.”
Girls objectify themselves because they feel that their Instagram followers evaluate and watch them. There is a cultural standard of beauty that magazines, television, and advertising prefer to use (Granados 99). This cultural standard includes a slim body with beautiful makeup on the face, which normalizes the unrealistic ideal of the body, which makes it very problematic because many teenage girls look at these photos (Johnson 340). This standard set by society makes girls feel that they have to follow this standard to fit into society and feel accepted in it. Thus, teenage girls feel the need to constantly compare and self-objectify their social and physical qualities with their peers and celebrities on Instagram (Lee 89). The female body has long been the subject of careful study, resulting in eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, which are among the most serious health problems of teenage girls (Lorinc 52). The best-known factor contributing to anorexia and bulimia is a negative body image and a high degree of dissatisfaction with oneself. Dissatisfaction with the body means dissatisfaction with the shape and size of one’s body and appearance.
This subtle idea of beauty is a success because the projection of beauty, strength, success, value, and love comes with thinness. This is demonstrated through Barbie, Bratz dolls, television, magazines, and video game characters. This ideal is embedded in the heads of young girls at a younger age (Martin et al. 215). Instagram has a feature that allows users to comment on other users’ photos. On Instagram, users observe how attractive people get attention and respond positively to their appearance. This increased internalization can then draw users’ attention to their observed physical features to determine which traits will or will not be met with a positive assessment (McDonald et al. 80). It corresponds to increased indicators of self-objectification and increases the anxiety of appearance to look attractive.
These ideals, a slim body, and full makeup create a strong pressure on girls who think they need to match them. They cause a comparison of appearance, which serves as a direct intermediary between the use of Instagram and attention to increased anxiety (Trudeau 977). This reasons great concern because these girls are trying to change to be what society likes (Montoya and Scott 86). Then teenage girls begin to compare their realistic, flawed personalities with perfectly created images posted by online friends and celebrities who, in their opinion, correspond to these ideals.
Conclusion
By way of conclusion, for years, the media has portrayed an unattainable ideal of a woman’s body. This sad reality has affected many women of past generations and a new generation of young girls who have lived their lives through Instagram. Negative reviews of photos of girls lead to the fact that they experience a contrast between themselves and thin and taut idealized bodies, which then causes a feeling of depression. Thus, “perfect photos” always lead to constant comparison, which leads to less positive self-esteem, including feelings of inferiority, decreased body satisfaction. Even though the negative psychological consequences of this phenomenon persist to this day, there have been positive changes in the fight against eating disorders, anxiety, and depression, which at the same time affect young girls. This is because body image has finally become part of the conversation in modern society.
Works Cited
Agosto, Denise E., et al. “Teens, Technology, and Libraries: An Uncertain Relationship.”The Library Quarterly: Information, Community, Policy, vol. 86, no. 3, 2016, pp. 248–69, Web.
Duffy, Brooke Erin. “‘And Now, a Word from Our Sponsor’: Attracting Advertisers, Building Brands, Leveraging (Free) Labor.” (Not) Getting Paid to Do What You Love: Gender, Social Media, and Aspirational Work, Yale University Press, 2017, pp. 136–84, Web.
Granados, Marlowe. “I Turn My Camera On: Notes on the Aesthetics of Tiktok.” The Baffler, no. 54, 2020, pp. 96–103, Web.
Johnson, Matthew. “Digital Literacy and Digital Citizenship: Approaches to Girls’ Online Experiences.” EGirls, ECitizens: Putting Technology, Theory and Policy into Dialogue with Girls’ and Young Women’s Voices, edited by Jane Bailey and Valerie Steeves, University of Ottawa Press, 2015, pp. 339–60, Web.
Lee, E. Bun. “Facebook Use and Texting Among African American and Hispanic Teenagers: An Implication for Academic Performance.”Journal of Black Studies, vol. 45, no. 2, 2014, pp. 83–101, Web.
Lorinc, John. “Your Kids, The Influencers.” Corporate Knights, vol. 14, no. 2, 2015, pp. 50–53, Web.
Martin, Florence, et al. “Middle School Students’ Social Media Use.” Journal of Educational Technology & Society, vol. 21, no. 1, 2018, pp. 213–24, Web.
McDonald, Noreen C., et al. “Longitudinal Analysis of Adolescent Girls’ Activity Patterns: Understanding the Influence of the Transition to Licensure.”Journal of Transport and Land Use, vol. 9, no. 2, 2016, pp. 67–86, Web.
Montoya, Detra Y., and Maura L. Scott. “The Effect of Lifestyle-Based Depletion on Teen Consumer Behavior.” Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, vol. 32, no. 1, 2013, pp. 82–96, Web.
Trudeau, Jennifer. “The Role of New Media on Teen Sexual Behaviors and Fertility Outcomes—The Case of ‘16 and Pregnant.’”Southern Economic Journal, vol. 82, no. 3, 2016, pp. 975–1003, Web.
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