Perfectly Imperfect
Remember when you saw your friends at school, football games, maybe a social event every once in a while, then went home? When you arrived at home, that was it. The connection with your friends was shut off beyond a landline and seeing them the next day at school. For today’s kids, the connection never ends. Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat…the list goes on. There is constant connection to peers and endless feedback on the latest trends or rumors. We are no longer living in the days when magazines at the grocery store or an afternoon TV show gave us society’s standards. Edited images don’t only come in the form of models - the edited images are now of our friends, with a perfectly filtered best version of themselves to compare to, or even AI, pretending to be natural.
The teenage years are critical for selfdevelopment, and what adolescents are exposed to can vastly shift what they believe is acceptable or achievable. Adolescent development is characterized as a pivotal period of identity exploration; their bodies are changing at the same time their identity is being defined. The amount of time on social media has been positively linked with body-image concerns (Basson & Weinbach, 2023). When teenagers are only seeing edited images, they start to believe this is the standard they should be striving for. The heightened access of today’s content on social media increases the ability to compare, which leads to an increase in selfscrutiny and body dissatisfaction (Digennaro & Tescione, 2024).
The constant availability of edited images is affecting our children today, especially young girls. So what do we do about it? How can we raise a body positive generation when the standard is generated to be perfect? Here are a few ways to discuss body image with your child, as a real-life, perfectly imperfect adult.
It’s never too early to start
Whether you have a toddler or teenager, it is never too early to start having conversations about body image in a healthy way. Let your child know how images are created online, so that they can be aware of the reality of what they are looking at. You may remember a campaign Dove did a while back, that showcased how ads are made. This video is from their campaign, and it’s a great conversation starter on what changes a photo goes through before it is taken to advertisement. It may serve as a great reminder for yourself as well!
Focus on health
Remember - the brain is part of our body, and we should be just as proud of what it can accomplish. Below are a few women to check out that show off being strong and beautiful at all sizes.
Ilona Maher (@ilonamaher)
Sarah Nicole Landry (@thebirdspapaya)
Mik Zazon (@mikzazon)
Jessica Hamilton (@jesschamilton)
Megan Jayne Crabbe (@meganjaynecrabbe)
Practice self-love
It’s hard to be an example of self-esteem if you are not practicing it yourself, and having a teenager does not negate our own feelings about body image or self-esteem. What parts of yourself do you love, and how can you show your child you are proud of yourself? When you look in the mirror, are you tearing down or lifting up? Children pick up on cues you may not realize and are learning their own habits through observation. Praise yourself when you take a walk or make a healthy choice, or thank your body for the ability to move. They will learn to integrate this pride in their own way. Find some inspiration from this video and create your own affirmations to make part of your day!
References Basson, S. A., & Weinbach, N. (2023). Body Comparisons Compromise the Benefits Body Diversity Exposure has on Body Satisfaction Among Female Adolescents and Young Adult Women. Sex Roles, 88(9/10), 413–423. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-023-01368-8 Digennaro, S., & Tescione, A. (2024). Scrolls and self-perception, navigating the link between social networks and body dissatisfaction in preadolescents and adolescents: a systematic review. Frontiers in Education, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1390583
