My personal reflection on body positivity.

Body positivity has been an emerging topic on social media in the last 10 years. I believe that this is the case because more and more online users are realizing how toxic the internet can be - especially to young women. Models and celebrities set the trends, they also set the “look” that people should strive after. For example, in the 1990’s Vogue Magazine was expanding their connections with the modeling world and really going after the general public as a demographic. A young 16 year old model, Kate Moss, was photographed in a Vogue shoot that was seen as very scandalous - considering her age and the suggestive tone in the shoot. This cover coined the term “heroin chic”. As a result, young women were comparing their bodies to Moss. This was not a positive public stunt from Vogue. They received tons of backlash from the public and other magazine companies. Similar situations are happening on today’s internet - where creators will post with very apparent toxic health habits. With the rise of Tik Tok and Instagram reels, it is becoming very easy for influencers online to take a 15 second clip of their day and make it appear as though they have a more glamorous lifestyle than they actually do. Unfortunately the result of this is young teenagers comparing their entire lifestyle to this small insider into someone’s life and forming toxic habits to try and adapt to the trends. Furthermore, social media tends to advertise “quick and easy” versus efficient and effective. Even though something is deemed as easy or quick does not make it good for you, caution should be taken when following online regimens. Without an extensive amount of research and only relying on small clips, unhealthy patterns are being made. Because this has been noticed online, brands and creators are really promoting body positivity. 

Body positivity isn't just about promoting healthy bodies, it's about inclusivity as well. Throughout learning and researching this topic, I learned that another reason why young women may not be comfortable in their own skin or have the confidence that they want is because some brands cater their products towards one demographic more than another. One example being foundation shades in the makeup industry. Makeup brands have struggled to put deeper shades for darker skinned customers for a long time. It was only recently that brands like Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty really dove into releasing even deeper shades with different undertones. When Rihanna broke this wall, other brands started competing to release an even more diverse range of complexion products. Now young women with darker skin can actually find and wear good quality complexion products that match their skin. Not only is this obviously more convenient, but it boosts confidence when you know you're wearing a product that makes you feel good about yourself. 

Another way that body positivity has been popularized has been through sharing recipes online that are healthy yet filling and fun to make. This gets young people in the kitchen making something they're excited to eat and it will also make them feel good after. I have felt this way before when making meals. Making something complicated yet healthy feels daunting and makes me less likely to eat it. Myself, along with other young adults, want the quick, easy and financially friendly way to cook. Pinterest, and Tik Tok have creators that share healthy recipes that are easy, appetizing, budget friendly and filling. I love finding recipes on Tik Tok that I know I can make and that will give me the nutrients I need without worrying if I'm eating too much or too little. 

I chose this topic because growing up as a dancer, you are constantly compared to the person next to you. I want to be able to spread the body positivity I wish I had in the dance room growing up. In order for everyone in the routine to look the exact same, the coaches are breaking apart your every move and how your body looks when doing so. This coupled with being in front of a mirror next to other girls for 6 hours a day from ages 6-18 can create a toxic comparative environment. During COVID, most of my dance classes were online, I also went to a performing arts middle school. We had to google workouts and complete them for a grade. This way our teachers knew we were working out during the quarantine. Tik Tok, and online workouts are great for simple body movement, however, every body is different and some diet and exercise regimens don't work for people the way they work for others. Doing these online workouts got my body moving, however some of them were overworking my body, and on top of a 6 hour dance practice every day, it was creating unhealthy habits. Finding creators online that make an effort to push progress rather than perfection truly boosted my confidence. This made working out and forming healthy eating more manageable for me. 

It is important to recognize that body positivity isn't just spoken about online. It's also a reflection of who you surround yourself around. The saying “you are a product of your environment” really resonates with this topic. Being around friends or family that don't make you feel like the best version of yourself affects your self confidence a lot more than some would care to admit. Again, as a dancer, 99% of my friends growing up were girls I met in dance class. And yes, we are all very close and love each other more than anything. But there was always - due to the environment and coaches we had - a competitive “one upping” energy in the room. With every girl trying to achieve another brownie point from the coaches, or be front row in every routine, it quickly became a place where if you didn't look, act, or dance a certain way, you might as well have just not shown up. Being a young woman in a place like this got very toxic and created unhealthy habits for a lot of the dancers. After moving studios and coaches, many dancers, including myself, felt the confidence that we had wanted from the beginning. The new environment made me feel like even though I wasn’t the coach's vision of perfection, it was okay because I was progressing as a dancer and dancing more confidently than I had been before. I even noticed that I was learning quicker because I was excited to go to dance class.

Feeling confident in your own skin is a right, not a privilege. Everyone should feel confident and do what they can to make themselves happy with what they see in the mirror. Self confidence and body positivity truly begin with you, not with what other people, especially influencers online have to say. Social media is a great place to research and learn how to reach your goals; however, staying cautious with what regimens that you're following is vital in not falling down the rabbit hole of unhealthy toxic patterns. Personally, I have found that stepping back from social media when I’m noticing to feel negative towards my confidence helps. Surrounding yourself around like minded friends and lifting each other up also helps with confidence and body positivity.