Social Media and Body Image: Back to School Edition

Back to school is a time when many families are ready for a fresh start. There is so much hope for the future, excitement, and maybe a little bit of anxiety. But for some children, their body image impacts how they will interact with others and pursue their goals. How we perceive our bodies affects how we behave and the beliefs that we hold onto. Social media and body image play critical roles in how a child views themselves.

The Effects of Social Media and Body Image on Kids

The effects of social media and body image on children can last a lifetime. Children, as young as grade school, begin to notice society’s ideal image of what someone should look like to be pretty, handsome, cool, or successful. They start their quest to fulfill what they believe everyone wants.

Comparison Children who spend time on social media may begin to compare their own bodies to those of their peers and celebrities, not understanding how unrealistic many of these images are after being airbrushed and filtered.

Body Dysmorphia Body dysmorphia is an excessive worry about how one looks. It is an obsession with perceived flaws. This obsession can interfere with a child’s daily activities and socialization.

Eating Disorders Eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia, are fatal if left untreated. They cause severe physical illness. Binge eating is another eating disorder that can develop in some children, especially if they use food as a coping mechanism.

Increased Risk for Depression and Anxiety Too much time scrolling social media and worrying about body image can increase depression and anxiety in both adults and children.

Parents and educators should stay informed about social media and body image, and be willing to celebrate each child’s uniqueness until that child embraces a positive body image.

What You Can Do

As a parent, you want to spare your child the heartache of trying to fit into a mold and risking their physical and mental health in the process of meeting unrealistic expectations. There are several things you can do to address the problem and boost self-acceptance.

Openly communicate

Keeping the door open to communicate can make it easier to approach tough subjects. If your child knows they can come to you for guidance, they will be willing to share their worries and fears. Your child may not always take your advice, but at least they will know that you will actively listen. Talk to them about the effects of social media and body image, and how what they view online is often highly edited, filtered, and curated before being published.

Limit exposure

Limit the amount of time your child can spend on social media daily or weekly, depending on their age. If they are older children, encourage them to follow positive body image influencers. If your child is younger, you can enable parental controls and choose who they follow and what content they see.

Encourage positive body image

If your child complains about their appearance, weight, size, or shape, point out their strengths. Not just physically, but their positive character traits. Teach them that there is more to a person than what society shows. Have them write affirmations on sticky notes and place them around their mirror or in a notebook for when they need a boost.

Choose health and wellness over an ideal

Encourage your child to choose health and wellness over a body image ideal. For example, instead of aiming to be skinny, help your child work toward becoming the healthiest and fittest they can be. Instead of reaching for a scale number, have them work toward daily or weekly goals, such as drinking eight glasses of water today or taking a walk with the family after church on Sundays.

Be a role model

Social media isn’t the only harsh critic in a child’s life. A large percentage of adults are dissatisfied with their bodies and may make comments aloud in front of their children. Their child may see them step on the scale every morning and note how their parents’ demeanor changes based on that number. Be the role model you want for your child, embracing self-acceptance and health, and seeking help when it feels overwhelming.

Help your child challenge negative thoughts and beliefs

Help your child this year with the balance of social media and body image by implementing the above tips. If your child is struggling, reach out to our office today to connect with a Christian counselor in Plano, Texas. Our children are much more than what they see on a digital platform or carefully curated posts of their friends. Help them break and reframe negative thoughts and beliefs. Contact us today at Plano Christian Counseling in Texas to get started.