Social Comparison Final Draft

I. Introduction (1 minute) A. The average teenager spends at least 3 hours a day on apps that quietly convince them they are not good enough. B. Credibility C. By now we probably all met someone who struggles with disordered eating of some kind or has experienced it firsthand. It can be mentally draining to watch a friend or loved one struggle with their body image and can be even more draining to struggle with this yourself. D. social media creates unrealistic body standards for teenagers E. Reminder of definitions if needed (citations) Social Comparison A. social media plays a big role in today's society 1. Filters and editing apps make it easy to change your appearance to look “more desirable” and if young children and teenagers are exposed to beauty filters consistently, it can lead them to develop low self-esteem and anxiety. This would happen due to wanting to look like the influencers online who have millions of followers and are deemed “perfect”. According to an article by King University 1/5 American Adults use a beauty filter before posting. II. 2. During adolescence your body is already going through many physical, mental, and hormonal changes that can lead to negative feelings and thoughts about your body and being exposed to these realistic filters can make you feel like you are not good enough. B. Adolescent brains are more focused on fitting in 1. Wanting to fit in during your teenage years is very normal and it is due to your prefrontal cortex developing and your brain rewiring. While this is happening, teens are trying to figure out who they are outside of just their families, and they do this by seeking acceptance from their friends and peers. A brain image study from the University of Michigan showed that the brain responds to social rejection the same way it does to physical pain, so teens will try to avoid this by doing what their friends do. 2. Outside forces like social media can also cause internalized thoughts. A woman might feel as if she needs to be thin to be liked by her peers, while a man may feel as if he needs to be muscular and tall to be liked and fit in. Neither of these are good because they can lead to disordered eating and body dysmorphia. III. External Validation A. Likes, comments and views 1. Getting likes and comments on a post can cause an increase in dopamine, the “feel good” chemical in your brain. If someone is hyping you up in the comments, you will feel good about yourself and continue to post the same type of content that got lots of likes and comments. 2. A huge saying on social media right now is “body tea” which means someone has a good body. While this is a compliment, you never know how someone will take a comment about their body, so it’s best to not comment on someone's appearance. B. What others say about you 1. Whether it is friends, family or classmates, what they say can affect you. If what they are saying about your body is negative, it is called “body shaming”. Most people think of this and automatically think of “fat shaming”, but bigger people aren’t the only people affected by this. 2. Hearing other people comment about your body can lead to internalized thoughts like “maybe I shouldn’t eat this” or “I feel fat today.” It can be hard to ignore thoughts like this, so someone might start to restrict their food intake or even just stop eating. On the other side of this if a skinny person is being told by their family they need to “eat a burger” this could eventually lead to the person feeling they need to eat more and could develop Binge Eating disorder. On the other hand, this person may take this as a compliment if they have body dysmorphia or struggle with an ED and use it as fuel to keep undereating. Promoting unhealthy habits A. People are able to post anything 1. Your favorite influencers may post videos like “what I eat in day” or their gym routine. This can be damaging to one's self-esteem because you can try to eat the same food or do the same workouts, but genetics play a big part of a person's body composition, so what might be good for your favorite influencers can be unhealthy for their audience. IV. 2. There are also certain platforms like Reddit or X (previously known as Twitter) that have spaces specifically created for extreme weight loss. If you accidentally stumble upon one of these pages, it can cause comparison and eventually lead to disordered eating or body dysmorphia. B. Promoting unhealthy weight loss 1. A big thing in Hollywood right now is Ozempic. Ozempic is a drug to help with weight loss. The problem with this drug is celebrities have started using it for the wrong reasons. People have been using it to become “red carpet ready”. Seeing these celebrties on TV and social media can lead younger people to wonder how they lost so much weight so quickly. Trying to lose weight quickly can lead to malnutrition, dehydration, hair loss, and slow metabolism. 2. It is also easy to spread misinformation about dieting online. Before trying any new diet, you should always consult with your doctor first. Some common diets that are promoted online are Keto, Vegan, and under 1200 calorie diets. These might be good for some people, like Keto can help people with epilepsy to control their symptoms, but for the average healthy person there is no need to cut out specific food groups. Veganism can also be very healthy, but it can quickly turn into orthorexia, which is an obsession with eating healthy foods which can also turn into anorexia. Conclusion: For all of these reasons, like comparison, filters and being able to easily spread misinformation, social media can be a very toxic place for the adolescent brain and their body image. Thank you for your time.