Op-ed: Finding Freedom

Opinion

Finding freedom from your insecurities

By: Sophie Reese Layout: Liv Allen

In this era of social media, I’ve never felt more insecure of myself and my body. With the popularity of Instagram models and social media influencers, I often only see them come in one size: Small.

They are praised, while women of any other body size are often shamed.

There have been countless times where I’ve come across an Instagram post and see this so- called “perfect body” and think to myself, “I am nothing like that. ” Scrolling through comments on these posts also makes me wonder, “How many other girls think the same way I do?”

I mean, it must be a lot. These social media models and influencers have countless fan pages dedicated to them by others who aspire to be them, look like them and act like them.

I’ll admit it. I’ve seen plenty of posts where I wished I looked like the people in these pictures; where I wished I was as skinny as them, had perfect skin like them or just were them. This promoted unhealthy eating habits for me that were hard to get through and manage.

When I look back on the insecurities I have felt as I look through social media, it makes me wonder how many young impressionable girls see these posts and do the same things I did, which was hate my body, develop unhealthy eating habits and criticize every little thing about myself. It's scary to think how many people develop unhealthy relationships with food or eating disorders due to social media. If you think about it, so many of these popular social media models even promote ads related to weight loss, dieting, “cleansing” and other kinds of fitness-related supplements.

Most of these influencers or celebrities who promote diet culture already have the money to afford expensive workout equipment, plastic surgery, fitness trainers or diet supplements while the average person cannot.

This isn’t meant to send hate to the people who post these ads; I realize that many of these users are just trying to make a living.

I just wonder how we got here.

How did we get to a point where profiting off of other people's insecurities became OK?

I’ve struggled with my appearance for as long as I can remember, and getting social media just made it worse; however, I managed to find a way to gain confidence in myself and love my body for how it is.

First of all, I needed to realize that there is no such thing as one perfect body, but that my body is perfect for me. It does exactly what I need it to do, and I realized I have to respect and appreciate it.

Next, I realized that these accounts (that tend to lower my self-esteem) were there because I allowed them to be there. I made the choice to follow them, and I realized that I could gain my power back and unfollow them or block them. I realized that the only person making me look at these accounts was me. No one was forcing me to, so I decided to end it.

You can choose what kind of accounts you follow. Make sure you're following accounts with content that inspire you and make you feel seen and happy about yourself. The internet is a complicated space, so taking these steps may not completely solve one's issues with self-image permanently...but it can allow you to gain some of your power back.

That might make all the difference.

"I needed to realize that there is no such thing as one perfect body, but that my body is perfect for me.