Redefining beauty standards in the digital era | Sabrina Greer | TEDxOshawa

Summary

This talk explores the profound impact of beauty standards on mental health, particularly in relation to social media and the modeling industry. The speaker shares personal experiences of bullying, body dysmorphia, and the pressure to conform to societal ideals, highlighting how toxic beauty standards affect people of all ages. She introduces the concept of redefining beauty through recognition, education, and digital activism, emphasizing the importance of self-empowerment, integrity, and in-person connection to combat these harmful ideals. The message is clear: true beauty starts when we embrace our individuality.

Takeaways

• 😀 Bullying and societal beauty standards impact self-esteem and body image from a young age, as illustrated by the speaker’s own experiences in middle school and modeling.
• 😀 The quest to meet beauty ideals can lead to unhealthy behaviors like disordered eating, self-shame, and body modification, especially among young people.
• 😀 Social media and 'beauty improvement apps' are contributing to a distorted sense of beauty, particularly among youth, who are exposed to fake influencers and AI-generated content.
• 😀 Beauty standards have evolved over time but the underlying issues of appearance-based validation have been present for centuries, now amplified by modern technology.
• 😀 Studies reveal that exposure to idealized body shapes and toxic beauty standards can lead to serious mental health issues, including depression, low self-esteem, and even suicidal thoughts.
• 😀 Conversations with young people reveal that body image struggles, such as eating disorders and self-hate, are prevalent across various age groups, genders, and backgrounds.
• 😀 Redefining beauty is not about changing the way we look but about changing how we feel and think about ourselves, fostering inclusivity and self-acceptance.
• 😀 The speaker introduces the acronym REDEFINE, which serves as a guide to combating body shame and promoting a healthier mindset: Recognize, Educate, Digital Activism, Encourage Creativity, Forward Thinking, Integrity, and Empower.
• 😀 The importance of early intervention and education in helping youth navigate media, technology, and body image issues is crucial for their well-being.
• 😀 The speaker urges for greater transparency in the algorithms behind social media and digital tools, as well as a shift towards promoting positive creativity and self-expression rather than perpetuating shame and insecurity.
• 😀 Finally, the speaker emphasizes the importance of modeling positive self-talk and behaviors as role models for the next generation, fostering community connections that can counteract the negative impacts of digital culture.

Q & A

What were some of the bullying experiences the speaker faced in middle school?

The speaker was bullied for being thin, with names like 'scrawny,' 'anorexic,' and 'itty bitty titty committee' being used to describe them.

How did the speaker attempt to address the bullying and their body image issues during their tween years?

The speaker tried to gain weight by stuffing their sports bras, carb loading their meals, and drinking creatine shakes every day in an attempt to surpass 95 pounds.

What impact did being discovered by a modeling agency at 13 have on the speaker?

At 13, being discovered by a modeling agency gave the speaker a sense of belonging and the feeling that they had finally found their 'people,' but this was short-lived as they faced new challenges in the modeling industry.

What issues did the speaker encounter within the modeling industry?

The speaker faced issues of not being thin enough, tall enough, busty enough, blonde enough, or pretty enough by industry standards, which led to the recommendation of breast implants at the age of 15.

What is the speaker's perspective on the societal pressures to conform to beauty standards?

The speaker believes that beauty is a societal construct that causes deep, systemic harm, and that it has been perpetuated for centuries, from corsets and hairpieces to today's beauty apps and filters.

How have technological advancements like beauty apps and filters contributed to the problem?

The speaker highlights that beauty apps and filters allow people, including children as young as four, to alter their appearances, which can create unrealistic beauty standards and affect mental health.

What statistics did the speaker share to show the impact of advertising on youth?

The speaker shared that 25,000 ads are shown to kids each year, with companies spending over $17 billion targeting this demographic, contributing to poor mental health, low self-esteem, and even suicidal ideation.

What are some of the real-life consequences the speaker discovered through their own research?

The speaker learned from others, such as a 16-year-old who wouldn’t leave the house because of self-image issues, an 18-year-old who starved herself before graduation, and a new mom who developed an eating disorder postpartum, all highlighting the devastating impact of beauty ideals.

What is the speaker's definition of 'redefining beauty,' and how can it be achieved?

Redefining beauty, according to the speaker, isn't about changing physical appearances, but about shifting the way we think and feel about ourselves, embracing diversity, and rejecting harmful beauty standards.

What is the acronym 'REDEFINE,' and how does it relate to addressing beauty standards?

The acronym 'REDEFINE' represents a series of actions to address beauty standards: Recognize signs of body shame, Educate on media literacy, Digital activism for transparency, Encourage creativity, Forward thinking, Integrity in self-talk, Empower youth to be change-makers.