By Robyn Henson

Social media has had a major impact on the world over the past twenty years. From MySpace to Facebook, Twitter to Instagram, Snapchat to TikTok, the demonstration of trends has become easier to access and observe over the course of time. What do we see? We see how damaging social media is for girls and young women, as it creates the concept of the ideal lifestyle, body type, thought processes and personality that aren’t always real or obtainable.

Creating an account on social media and logging in daily comes at little to no cost. I remember being ten years old and begging my mother for permission to create a Facebook account. At that time, Facebook was the hottest thing. I wanted to be able to connect with my friends and family, all while posting fun photos and chatting with my people. My mother gave me a firm no, but that never stopped me – sorry, Mom! Creating an account with a fake name, age and email was simple. There was no need for verification of that information; there still isn’t to this day.

Social media was fun, lighthearted and pure. Having over 1,000 friends was the goal. Afterwards, obtaining a certain number of likes was mandatory; those indicators were rooted in popularity and favouritism. It didn’t matter if you didn’t know those individuals liking your posts or not. The value of connecting with family and friends turned into connecting with celebrities, influencers and idols.

The words ‘celebrities’, ‘influencers’ and ‘idols’ have been redefined. Those titles are simply connected to the number of social media followers an individual has. Then, verification checks on those pages are seen to mean serious business. It is essential for these individuals to have a solid social media standing, which means consistency in going live, posting photos, showing an engaging personality and keeping things entertaining – even if that means invading their own privacy.

The purpose of all of this is to create a personalised connection with their audience. Before social media, the most personal interactions we had with stars were through interviews conducted on television. Today, we’re able to log into Instagram and watch them on live, similar to a group Facetime session! This false closeness can magnify our want to be like those we look up to.

Photos from celebrities and influencers have a huge influence on young girls and women’s body image, as they promote ‘favourable’ body types: flat stomachs, small ‘snatched’ waists, wide hips, plump buttocks and large breasts OR totally thin with plump buttocks. Facial work has also been highly favoured in suggesting beauty archetypes in society. Symmetrical facial features, high cheekbones and slim elevated noses are seen as the highest beauty standard.

The thought of being focused on physical attributes makes accepting the body one has difficult. The lack of appreciation creates a call for measures that are sometimes regretful. Countless times, I have seen young girls contemplating plastic surgery. Tiktok has many videos about the pain and torture that so many young women have gone through during and after various procedures. There are those that claim that plastic surgery was not worth it in the end; some women received botched results. In some cases, thought processes are overshadowed as social media influencers and celebrities promote being an ‘It Girl’ or ‘Baddie’: most associate that personality type with having an attractive body.

There doesn’t seem to be an upside here, and it’s only getting worse. There is the pressure of creating connections for the sake of likes that issue a blurred level of popularity, and the effects of social expectations of appearance, influencing young girls to consider plastic surgery and going through with cosmetic procedures. During the ‘It Girl’ and ‘Baddie’ era, the focus on physical appearance has been more prominent, forecasting even more attributes that women and young girls should aspire to.

Making myself aware of these trends has made me want to defeat notions of social media relevance by speaking on a few key points that are weakening society. For any girl or woman reading this who has felt like they are not enough after looking through social media, know this: you are enough. Social media isn’t real, and we shouldn’t keep allowing the expectations it sets to be, either.