The Power of Posing - Guest Article by Chloe Johnson

TW: pro-anorexia mention, excessive discussion of body image.

 

Instagram is a lie - we all know that. But how much of the lie do we believe? Unfortunately, quite a lot of it. The social media platform is full of comparisons, and similar apps like Tik Tok are also jumping on board. It is no surprise that the lies are believable when companies and influencers alike spend millions on constructing that perfect persona. It is difficult to fault them for doing so - is there anything sold anymore that doesn’t conform to some sort of aesthetic, even if that aesthetic is spurning the idea of aesthetic itself? However, those that are not looking to have an inclusive social media platform are doing many people, especially young teens and adults, a disservice. There is no harm in wanting to look good in a photograph or aiming to have a fruitful life full of adventure and happiness, but when looking good in both personality and body image becomes synonymous with discounting various different types of the human experience, it becomes a problem. From people of colour to those with cellulite, people who can’t afford to travel to those that don’t really feel happy all the time...sometimes the person you are discounting is even another part of yourself - these are only some of the categories of people who are affected by unrealistic beauty standards. If you’re not completely erased from the standard type of beauty altogether, there’s a ridiculous amount of pressure to conform. It may not seem much to include a higher range of clothing sizes, but to somebody it means the world to find their body being catered for.

 

If you’ve ever been down the Instagram rabbit hole that is #fitspo, you’ll see that #thinspo often appears associated. From there it’s hardly a leap to finding those that fully endorse a Pro Anorexia lifestyle, which is more than harmful for those engaging: it’s lethal. Policing this issue - which Instagram have done by banning pro ana and related terms back in 2012 - didn’t solve the issue, as the mindset hasn’t changed. Comparison is the thief of our joy, and instead of attacking the people who believe these harmful ideas of beauty - because, really, haven’t we all worried about our weight at some point? It is far easier than you think to slip into disordered eating habits in a world which thrives on diets - education is key to changing this mindset altogether. Young people growing up swamped in social media madness especially need to know it’s okay to step back, even completely, and it’s okay to look and be different; companies need to acknowledge that other types of customers exist.

 

It is difficult to see how social media can be shaped to help us all feel happier in ourselves (even those that post more wholesome content may find there’s pressure to keep up a happy façade). Unfortunately, to an extent, we have accepted social media having control in our lives. Instagram is a lie - we all know that, yet we still buy into its lies every time we airbrush a photo, keep following somebody who makes us uncomfortable, and give into searching that hashtag you know isn’t good for your mental health. This is not a call to feel guilty about engaging in these sorts of ideas, but rather a call to kindness. Kindness doesn’t just need to be extended to others, but to ourselves. Thankfully, a wave of inclusion is slowly filtering through the darker parts of Instagram and elsewhere, but we need to help it along. Boohoo have been one of the more mainstream companies sharing in a movement dedicated to revealing the power good lighting and posing can have on Instagram photos, frequently sharing photos showing the before and after effects. This is definitely a step in the right direction, and now we need to make sure that everybody is included in the conversation.

 

There have been thousands of studies done to show how harmful social media can be, but it is also a lifeline for many. Especially during recent months, we have come to rely on social media more than anything to keep us connected. If we were to make these networks more accessible for ourselves and others, everyone would benefit. The power of the pose is that it is more than just a pose - this is both its greatest success and its biggest failure. We can convey so much with one single photo, so if we were to work on deconstructing our harmful notions around body image in social media - perhaps we can put this power in ourselves instead.

 

Chloe is a freelance writer and editor who is fuelled almost completely on lemon cake, lotus biscoff flavoured ice cream and tea. She writes music reviews over at www.musicomh.com, and her recent Taylor Swift review was featured in Swift’s UK press release. When she’s not writing around music, she's writing about disability, mental wellbeing, history, or she may be editing fiction. You can find her tweeting around the importance of paying writers over at @ladychloestark, blogging around books at @lemoncaketales or at her website www.wordsbychloe.com