The Body Obsession

Physical insecurities aren’t just for angsty teenagers. Find out how to spot a child with body image issues and teach them how to love the skin they are in.

As you watch your kiddo concentrating intently on their iPhone game in their childhood bedroom, it may be hard to imagine them picking on the shape of their bodies. While you may think kids don’t understand what body image is, they aren’t immune to the constant stream of messages from the media. Research by Common Sense Media has shown that more young children are struggling to develop a positive relationship with their physical appearance and found that children as young as five were dissatisfied with their bodies.

This issue seems to get getting worse, but why? Society used to be quick to point the finger at the fashion world and glossy magazine pages, but social media has proved to be more poisonous than all traditional media combined. For one, it’s always with you on your smart device, serving as a constant reminder of your flaws. Just like there isn’t any rest for the wicked, social media is constantly refreshing the stream with new content every minute. Unlike runways and magazines, social media is a lot more personal. If you thought it was bad enough convincing your child not to compare themselves to a celebrity with a dedicated glam squad, think again. These social sites are more than just pictures of celebrities and influencers posting “effortless” off-duty shots, but also posts by their friends and peers, who like many young users use social media to tailor their own image (yes, we are still talking about children here).

However, the problem with these messages goes beyond the medium. Children are impressionable and undiscerning sponges that soak up everything, whether they are good, bad or downright baloney. In the long run, exposure to negative body messages, be it from social media, magazines or television and film, can end up reinforcing the message that there is only one “perfect” body and that the “perfect” body can help them attain happiness.