Body Shaming- A Masked Drawback Of Instagram

'You're beautiful just the way you are'- say many, but a few mean when they say.

The notion of beauty is ever-changing. Concepts like self-beauty, acceptance are widely acknowledged. And yet, I see so many Instagram users falling for models and influencers promoting thinner waistlines and six abs, as the only definition of beauty.

Instagram is a significant global platform to showcase your fitness through pictures and videos. Being primarily accepted by the young and the adult, it can reshape individuals' thoughts and take on life.

There is no harm in revealing your positives and boosting your confidence with a greater reach. However, have you ever thought of the impact you might have on an individual's mind?

I remember a post wherein an influencer posed a slimmed-up body encouraging everyone to begin with a keto diet. It might work for one or two, but is it ethical to encourage everyone to do so? Such content builds up an inferiority complex within individuals trying hard to shed those extra pounds. Living a sedentary lifestyle is not the only cause for being overweight. Factors such as medication, genetic predisposition also need to be considered.

Most of these 'Instagram advisers' (is what I would like to call them) have a large fan base. They might indulge in faster techniques to gain popularity by investing in buying Instagram followers, Instagram likes, and views. Whatever may be their tactic, their main aim is to reach out to a significantly large audience. When they increase their visibility, they also tend to increase the visibility of the content they feed. It gets them endorsement from various companies or boosts their brands in some or another way. We see them as idols and role models and fall for all their ways without giving a second thought.

Everybody is unique in their way, so why proclaim being fat is not accepted while being slim is?

You might not say it through your pictures, but your body language and caption can say it loud. Users and influencers should instead get out of the imaginary kingdom they create, talk about real issues, and let their followers know the right way to live a healthy lifestyle.

Many times, we post pictures that look all glittery, smiles, and happy. But every picture has a story to tell. Maybe we're just acting to be happy, masking on all that goes into being happy!

If you were once overweight, focus on telling your users the ill-effects of being unhealthy and the reasons to reconsider having a healthy body with the right BMI. Do not rant about your struggles or success all the time, but rather engage with your followers in knowing their struggles; maybe provide some practical feedback.

I enjoy being on Instagram, but being a middle-class overweight, I genuinely feel low when someone tries and promotes a slim body waist. Maybe, I should starve myself to get to that fit, and maybe I'm not the lucky one. Maybe I need to follow all that they say, are some common thoughts that recur every time I see these not-so inspirational posts online. Now, you might point my perspective here. Yes, I have a different take on body size altogether, but we all are humans with emotions and feelings at the end of the day.

Final thought!

The hype around Instagram followers is so intense that one is forced to follow the trends. There is a subtle distinction between body positivity and body shaming, which is often crossed in most of the content we see on Instagram. We need to engage in creating an environment suitable for all. Not just provide content on fairy stuff but also speak on an intellectual level. Let's break the chain and make a happy, self-contained environment to socialize in.

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Body Shaming- A Masked Drawback Of Instagram

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