Today's post continues last week's theme of learning to see ourselves and others as #MoreThanABody. The content all comes from this post from Beauty Redefined. It's so clear and to the point I decided to share it just as they wrote it. I invite you to take the time to seriously consider what they say. Here you go.
If you use social media — whether as an “influencer,” a casual Instagrammer, or just as a viewer — and if you’re interested in consciously working to step outside the system that values women for our bodies above all else, we have some tips. Below are guidelines in the form of two Positive Body Image Playbooks — the first for social media content creators and the second for content consumers.
Positive Body Image Playbook: Social Media Literacy for Socially Conscious Content
Your posts pass the test when they:
Stand alone without a caption to situate it as “body positive” or “inspiring”
Advertise only products or services that uphold the values you hope to promote
Clearly state that it is a paid promotion to sell a product or service if you’re making money from it
Encourage people to see you (and all others) as more than a body
Couldn’t possibly be mistaken for harmful #fitspo, #thinspo, or plain old sexual objectification
Avoid disparaging – even jokingly – any body types and characteristics as “flaws” (i.e. “I’m learning to love my thunder thighs” or “I’m so embarrassed/brave to show this pic of my belly rolls”)
Serve as more than just a #humblebrag or a request for validation
If a post doesn’t satisfy most or all of the above criteria, consider skipping that particular post or opting for an image or message that does.
Positive Body Image Playbook: Social Media Literacy for Socially Conscious Consumers
Ask yourself the following questions about the content you’re viewing:
Does this image/account encourage me to fixate on my own or other women’s appearance?
Does this image/account spark body anxiety or feelings of shame?
Am I engaging in self-comparison as I view these images?
Does this account seek to profit from my insecurity by selling solutions to fix my “flaws?”
Are these images promoting or reinforcing distorted ideals of what bodies and faces should look like – either through digital manipulation or featuring only one body type or “look?”
Would men who think women are garbage and only valuable as sexual objects enjoy viewing these images?
Does it encourage me to see women as bodies first and foremost?
If the answer is yes to any or all of the above, consider unfollowing, unsubscribing, limiting, or otherwise avoiding this type of content.
In Summary
If you are interested in elevating the status of women in a culture that happily values us as objects first and foremost, be sure to look critically at your own ideas of female empowerment first. If the images you’re sharing and liking online are indistinguishable from the sexism and objectification that have always been used to devalue and disempower women, they might not be all that revolutionary.
Women are more than bodies, and when we can see more in ourselves, we can be more. We can then learn to value more in ourselves and everyone else — value that doesn’t correlate with our beauty, and value that can’t be bestowed or withdrawn by anyone else.
avoiding this type of content.