The pressure to be perfect online: New findings from media trends and #WinAtSocial
It’s no surprise that what we see online is often a highlight reel. From filters to photoshop, what we see is a culmination of the best pictures and what users want us to see.
Over the past few months, there has been a shift on social media, where influencers and celebrities are showing a more authentic side to their daily lives. This can also be defined as “Casual Instagram” that takes the form of photo-dumps and less edited images.
There’s no doubt that openness and transparency are a good thing, but many influencers and celebrities are now taking to their social media platforms to document their cosmetic surgeries and “beauty transformations.” This can create more unrealistic beauty standards for young teens, with 45% of Gen Z believing that there is too much pressure to be perfect on social media.
Read more to find out what the trends tell us and how schools can equip students to feel confident – both online and off.
What #WinAtSocial Tells Us
In our #WinAtSocial Curriculum Lesson, Exploring The Link Between Social Media, Body Image, and the Rise of BeReal, students reflect on how body image can play a role in their own lives and share strategies to be authentic online and off.
We asked students if they spend more time thinking about what they dislike about their appearance, compared to what they like about it, with 53% of students saying nearly all the time or sometimes.
The topic of body image is nothing new, but we can empower students to use social media in a way that empowers them and makes them feel more confident. Find out how in our other blog, 20 tips to make social media a more positive space.
Media Trends
Recently, young users on TikTok have been using their platform to document their cosmetic surgery, such as Botox and fillers. The hashtag #plasticsurgery has over 15.5 billion views on TikTok, with many of the videos documenting the transformations of young women before and after plastic surgery. These videos of plastic surgery can amass hundreds of thousands of views, leading students to normalize beauty augmentation.
Dana Berkowitz, an associate professor of sociology and women, gender, and sexuality at Louisiana State University shares, “It’s nice that more people are being open about their beauty work, showing it doesn’t come naturally. But, others will see this type of content and feel they, too, have to do this.”
A new documentary by NBC is diving into the normalization of body augmentation for teens and young people. #FillerNation looks at the different pressures students see and experience on social media from influencers and celebrities. You can watch it here.
Peer Pressure
Peer pressure and the desire to follow the crowd are nothing new for students. Social media is just another avenue for it. In fact, 85% of high schoolers have experienced peer pressure.
By having open, ongoing communication with students about staying true to who they are, we can empower them to express themselves while making decisions that help them Play To Their Core.
TSI’s Take
Here at The Social Institute, we empower and equip students to Play To Their Core, or reflect their values, character, and interests in their actions. To fit in with the crowd, students will take part in viral trends.
Our #WinAtSocial Lessons are just one of the many ways in which we gather insight and voice into the work we do. Our 23 Insights for 2023, coming soon, represent the findings of a nationwide questionnaire of more than 20,000 students. The questionnaire highlights actionable insights, trends, and needs of K-12 students.
Always stay up-to-date with the latest and greatest trends online by subscribing to our newsletter where we talk about trending tech and social media news weekly! In the meantime, check out our Instagram and TikTok @thesocialinst for tips, trends, and highlights when it comes to social media.
The Social Institute (TSI) is the leader in understanding student experiences and creator of #WinAtSocial, a gamified, online learning platform that equips students, educators, and families to navigate social experiences — online and offline — in healthy ways. Our unique, student-respected approach incorporates topics like social media, technology use, and current events that have a significant impact on student well-being. Lessons teach life skills for the modern day to inspire high-character decisions that support the health, happiness, and future success of students, while capturing data that provides insights to school leaders to inform school policy and communications, and enable high-impact teaching and a healthy learning environment. For schools, our turnkey technology allows for easy implementation and a comprehensive game plan to support the well-being of school communities. For schools, our turnkey technology allows for easy implementation and a comprehensive game plan to support the well-being of school communities.