Table of ContentsSummarySocial Media and Unrealistic Beauty StandardsInfluence of Social Media on Self-Esteem and Body ImageFitspiration Phenomenon on Social MediaBody Image Issues Among Women men and womenConclusionReferencesSummaryDuring the essay, I tried to analyze and present how influencers develop and use their content to interact with wider masses on Instagram and then attract sponsors to endorse and review the products. I explained how these influencers spark self-esteem issues and self-deception among their followers by creating unrealistic beauty standards on social media. The essay will also focus on how these beauty standards perpetuate a negative body image among the masses. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essaySocial Media and Unrealistic Beauty StandardsSince its debut in 2010, Instagram, a social media platform, has attracted a total number of 1 billion monthly active users and half of that user base is made up of millennials aged 18-29 who use the power of social media 3 more than any other demographic and have shared a total of 50 billion of photos to date (Omnicore, 2019). Just like other social networks, Instagram allows an individual to interact with other users by following them, being followed by them, commenting, liking, tagging, and sending private messages. In terms of practice and use of imagery, Instagram differs from similar platforms such as Facebook and Twitter for example. While on Facebook users upload images to talk about themselves and thus create unique portraits of themselves, and on Twitter users signal their identity through shared links, Instagram, on the other hand, is the place where users communicate through images in order to highlight their identity. in a way that they want to be seen by others (Lampe, Ellison, and Steinfield 2007; Silfverberg, Liikkanen, and Lampinen 2011). The popularity of Instagram has often been linked to the phenomenon of the selfie, a self-portrait that the user takes with their camera (Bennett, 2014; Wagner et al., 2016). Unlike traditional media that primarily feature images of models or celebrities, social media platforms, such as Instagram, often contain images of different comparison targets that vary in relational proximity to the user (e.g., friends, family, acquaintances, strangers, celebrities, etc.). or even themselves). Thanks to this feature which allows everyone to share their life regardless of their identity, many users take advantage of this opportunity by publishing content likely to engage other users, and therefore gain likes and followers. In an article the New York Times published an investigation into the prevalence of social media bots, particularly those purchased by aspiring influencers and celebrities who wish to inflate their online prominence. Over the years, a company called Devumi “sold approximately 200 million Twitter followers to at least 39,000 customers,” including famous athletes, chefs, and reality TV stars (Schaefer, 2019). With an increased number of followers and more engaging content created by traveling to places and purchasing expensive products, these users are known as "Instagram influencers" where they use their blog to influence other users through their content. Due to their popularity, many brands are approaching theseinfluencers and pay them to endorse or review their products. Influencers don't need millions of followers to attract the attention of brand sponsors. The average number of followers for an influencer is almost 63,000 people, of which almost 60% on Instagram are women who often post lifestyle and fitness related content. Lifestyle accounts which can include content ranging from travel and food to beauty and fashion, allow influencers to feature both branded products and unique content to keep their posts fresh and engaging (Ryan, 2017). Since an influencer's main goal on Instagram is to get increased engagement on their posts through comments, likes, shares, and active followers, they tend to go the extra mile to create content that would interest their audience. While doing so, influencers often tend to share the collection of their best moments, photos of themselves traveling to exquisite places, photos of their visits to fancy restaurants and expensive meals they order, photos of a healthy lifestyle and photos of themselves. to be beautiful, mainly with the aim of attracting more and more brands to approach them, which helps them earn more money. The influence of social media on self-esteem and body image Although there are different ways that influencers use their accounts to influence their followers and the general public, one of the main methods is through the use of self-portraits. Just like most people use social media to promote themselves, tons of celebrities, influencers, models, and brands also use it to market themselves by creating an image of perfection. On Instagram, we find a multitude of perfectly toned beauties, flat stomachs, plump breasts, incredibly long legs and plump, perfectly rounded butts. Thousands of Instagram accounts that promote images of perfectly sculpted men and women lead to low self-esteem and negative self-perceptions as users begin to measure themselves, their appearance and their bodies through the standards created by the perfectly shaped bodies on Instagram. According to a global study conducted by Dove, only 4% of women consider themselves beautiful, only 11% of girls worldwide feel comfortable describing themselves as "beautiful", 72% of girls feel enormous pressure to be beautiful , 80% of women agree that every woman has something beautiful in her, but does not see her own beauty, while more than half of women worldwide (54%) agree that when it comes to their appearance , they are their own worst beauty critic (Dove). A systematic review of 20 articles published in 2016 found that photo-based activities, like scrolling through Instagram or posting photos of yourself, were a particular problem when it came to negative thoughts about your body (Oakes, 2019). By posting portraits that are mostly edited, facetuned and filtered, posting them under hashtags like #clearskin, #naturalbeauty, #iwokeuplikethis, #perfect etc., and promoting various products claimed to give clearer skin or hide imperfections , influencers often tend to create unrealistic products. beauty standards due to which followers who adapt to these standards. People compare their appearance to people in Instagram images or whatever platform they're on, and they often judge themselves to be worse off, says Jasmine Fardouly, a postdoctoral researcher at Macquarie University in Sydney , in Australia (Oakes,2019). As a result of this comparison, users and followers are forced to purchase the products reviewed or approved by the influencers, and thus end up spending their fortune to do so. The beauty industry, a persuasive and omnipresent money-making machine, convinces the masses using these influencers that it is necessary to improve our appearance. As a result, this industry is growing rapidly, where skincare alone is worth $24 billion annually, makeup is worth $18 billion, and hair care is worth $38 billion. A British Youth Council report, A Body Confident Future, highlighted the “massive” role of these industries in creating idealized images of beauty. It comes at a cost: a third of young people say media influence has made them feel the need to change their skincare routine or buy expensive makeup products to enhance their features or hide imperfections. “Fitspiration” Phenomenon on Social Media Another unique feature of Instagram is the prominence of “fitspiration” images (the term fitspiration is a combination of the words fitness and inspiration), which are images designed to motivate people to exercise. exercise and eat healthily. Young women are the biggest consumers of fitspiration images (Carrotte et al., 2015), and while these images can motivate people to adopt a healthier lifestyle (Tiggemann and Zaccardo, 2015), they are also largely focused on appearance and mainly contain thin women. and toned bodies. The hashtag “body goals” or “thinspo,” meant to serve as inspiration to achieve a slim body, often ends up having a negative impact on users, as they tend to self-harm. Studies show that browsing #fitspo posts on Instagram, for as little as 30 minutes, increases self-objectification. Additionally, another study found that women who shared their own “Fitspo” photographs scored higher on charts monitoring their desire for thinness and compulsive physical activity. Eighteen percent of the same group were at risk of developing an eating disorder (Ricky, 2018). In a world where we're measured by the number of likes we receive, it's no surprise that so many young men and women suffer from eating disorders or thought disorders regarding food in general. According to the National Eating Disorder Association, “40 to 60 percent of elementary school girls (ages 6 to 12) worry about their weight or becoming too fat.” Body Image Issues in Men and Women It is essential to observe, however, that body image issues are not exclusive to women. In the past, men were conditioned to nonchalance, a squirt of Old Spice, and a hasty wash in the sink. But a shift in male stereotypes has also occurred as male influencers on Instagram share content, leading the male population to care more about the appearance of their bodies. In one study, 45% of men reported experiencing a period of “bigorexia,” an obsession with building muscle. While gender bias around body image issues can make it harder for men to talk openly about their insecurities, those insecurities are certainly there. “There is increasing pressure for body perfection among men of all ages, which is a risk factor for developing an eating disorder,” Dr William Rhys Jones, from the Faculty of Eating Disorders, told the Guardian. feed of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. “Images of body ideals/