Body image - manipulation and mental health | Evie Sedgwick | TEDxGlarus

Summary

Evie Sedwick discusses the impact of media and social pressures on teenagers' mental health and body image. She shares her own struggle with anxiety and body image, highlighting how social media exacerbates these issues. Evie calls for industry changes and encourages teens to seek support and embrace body positivity.

Takeaways

• 😔 The script discusses the negative impact of constant criticism and judgment on mental health, particularly anxiety and depression.
• 📈 Anxiety and depression rates are increasing rapidly, especially due to the influence of social media.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Teenagers are expected to grow up happy and healthy, but media often sends toxic messages that they are not good enough.
• 🤔 The script highlights the manipulation present in media and advertising, which can exacerbate mental health issues.
• 👗 Body image issues are a significant problem for teenagers, with many feeling upset or ashamed about their bodies.
• 📊 A study found that 37% of UK teenagers felt upset and 31% felt ashamed towards their body image.
• 📱 Social media is argued to worsen body image issues by sharing misinformation and promoting unrealistic lifestyles.
• 👚 The fashion industry is criticized for promoting unrealistic body standards, with some brands only selling one size.
• 🍽️ The script mentions that around 30% of children between the ages of 10 and 14 are actively dieting.
• 🌟 Celebrities and influencers are under pressure to conform to certain body standards to be considered successful or likable.
• 💪 There are signs of improvement with brands representing a wider range of diversity in their clothing.
• 🗣️ The script encourages open communication with trusted adults about feelings of insecurity and the importance of developing healthy communication skills.

Q & A

What is the main issue discussed in the script?

The main issue discussed is the impact of media, social media, and societal standards on mental health, particularly among teenagers, leading to anxiety, depression, and body image issues.

How does the speaker describe the feeling of anxiety and depression caused by societal pressures?

The speaker describes the feeling as exhausting, with a constant anticipation of criticism and judgment, leading to a heart that beats out of control due to fear and disappointment.

What role does social media play according to the script?

Social media is portrayed as a significant factor contributing to the increase in anxiety and depression rates among teenagers by promoting unrealistic and harmful standards.

What statistics are provided regarding body image issues among UK teenagers?

The script mentions that 37% of UK teenagers felt upset and 31% felt ashamed towards their bodies according to a survey by the Mental Health Foundation with YouGov.

How does the speaker relate the 'Mind Flayer' from 'Stranger Things' to the real-world impact of social media?

The speaker uses the 'Mind Flayer' as a metaphor for the negative influence of social media, which 'spirals' over individuals, making them feel scared and worried, similar to how teenagers feel under social media's pressure.

What personal decision did the speaker make regarding social media?

The speaker consciously decided not to have social media when they were younger because they saw the negative impact it had on people around them.

What is the percentage of people who compare their bodies to images on social media according to the Florida House experiment?

87% of women and 65% of men compare their bodies to other images they see on social media.

How does the fashion industry contribute to body image issues as per the script?

The fashion industry contributes to body image issues by promoting unrealistic body standards and selling clothes in limited sizes, which can make individuals feel insecure and inadequate.

What is the message the speaker has for stores that only sell one size?

The speaker's message is that 'one size does not fit all' and emphasizes the importance of inclusivity and representation of diverse body types in clothing.

What advice does the speaker give to teenagers struggling with body image and mental health?

The speaker advises teenagers to communicate with family and friends, follow positive influences on social media, and accept body neutrality, focusing on mental health and happiness rather than physical appearance.

What is the final message the speaker conveys to the audience?

The final message is one of empowerment and self-acceptance, stating that teenagers are good enough as they are and should not let societal standards control their self-worth.

Outlines

00:00

📱 Impact of Social Media on Teen Mental Health

The speaker, Evie Sedwick, discusses the negative impact of social media on mental health, particularly among teenagers. She shares her personal experience with anxiety disorder and how constant criticism and judgment, both self-imposed and from others, can be exhausting. Evie points out that social media exacerbates body image issues, with teenagers being particularly vulnerable due to their developing minds. She references a study that shows a significant percentage of teenagers feel upset and ashamed about their bodies, and how social media's harmful content and influencers can manipulate young minds. Evie also draws a parallel to the 'Mind Flayer' from 'Stranger Things' to illustrate the invasive and damaging nature of social media on self-esteem.

05:03

👗 Fashion Industry's Influence on Body Image

Evie continues to explore the impact of the fashion industry on self-perception, highlighting how brands that offer only one size can make individuals feel insecure and inadequate. She shares a personal anecdote about trying on clothes from a brand that only sells one size, leading to feelings of shame and triggering disordered eating behaviors. Evie also discusses societal pressures on children to diet at a young age, which is concerning given the developmental stage of pre-teens. She argues for a more inclusive fashion industry and the need for celebrities and influencers to present a realistic image of themselves to counter the unrealistic beauty standards perpetuated by certain industries.

10:03

🌟 Encouraging Positive Self-Image and Mental Health

In the final paragraph, Evie offers advice on how to cope with negative self-image and poor mental health. She suggests reducing screen time and social media use, and instead, spending more time communicating with loved ones to develop vital social skills. Evie encourages following accounts on social media that promote body positivity and genuine self-expression. She also advises against using mirrors and scales to measure self-worth, advocating for body neutrality and self-acceptance. Evie concludes with a powerful message of self-affirmation, reminding teenagers of their inherent worth beyond physical appearance and the importance of working with what they have.

Keywords

💡Anxiety Disorder

Anxiety Disorder refers to a group of mental health conditions characterized by excessive and persistent worry, fear, or unease. In the video, the speaker, Evie Sedwick, discloses her struggle with an anxiety disorder, illustrating how it's connected to the theme of mental health struggles among teenagers. The script discusses how the disorder can be exacerbated by societal pressures and media influences.

💡Social Media

Social Media refers to digital platforms that enable users to create and share content or participate in social networking. The video highlights the negative impact of social media on mental health, particularly among teenagers. It is portrayed as a source of misinformation, harmful content, and unrealistic beauty standards that contribute to body image issues.

💡Body Image

Body Image is a person's perception of their own physical appearance. The script discusses how teenagers face daily struggles with body image issues, often influenced by social media and societal standards. The video emphasizes the importance of addressing these struggles to promote healthier self-perceptions.

💡Mental Health

Mental Health encompasses a person's emotional, psychological, and social well-being. The video's central theme revolves around the increasing rates of mental health issues among teenagers, attributing these in part to media and societal pressures. It calls for awareness and action to support mental health.

💡Manipulation

Manipulation refers to the act of influencing someone or something in a clever or unscrupulous way. The video discusses how media and social platforms manipulate users, especially teenagers, into feeling inadequate or desiring unattainable standards of beauty or success.

💡Influencers

Influencers are individuals who have the power to affect the purchasing decisions of others because of their authority, knowledge, position, or relationship with their audience. The video criticizes influencers for promoting unrealistic lifestyles and contributing to negative body image and mental health issues among their followers.

💡Fashion Industry

The Fashion Industry is a global industry that designs, manufactures, markets, and sells clothing and fashion items. The script points out how the fashion industry, by promoting certain body types and sizes, has contributed to body image issues and societal pressures to conform to narrow beauty standards.

💡Diet

Diet refers to the types of food that people eat and the way in which they are consumed. The video mentions that a significant percentage of children are actively dieting, often due to societal pressures and unrealistic beauty standards, which can negatively impact their health and self-esteem.

💡Self-Worth

Self-Worth is the value or esteem that a person places on themselves. The video challenges the idea that self-worth should be based on physical appearance, urging viewers to look beyond superficial measures like weight and to accept and value themselves for who they are.

💡Body Neutrality

Body Neutrality is the idea of accepting and respecting one's body without focusing on its appearance or size. The video encourages body neutrality as a healthier alternative to the constant pursuit of an ideal body image, promoting mental well-being and self-acceptance.

💡Communication Skills

Communication Skills are the ability to effectively express ideas, thoughts, and feelings. The video suggests that excessive use of social media can hinder the development of vital communication skills in children and teenagers, as it replaces face-to-face interactions.

Highlights

The impact of constant criticism and judgment on mental health.

Anxiety and depression rates are increasing due to social media.

The media often sends toxic messages that you are not good enough.

37% of UK teenagers felt upset and 31% felt ashamed towards their body according to a survey.

Social media can exacerbate body image issues among teenagers.

The influence of social media on the developing minds of teenagers.

The harmful impact of influencers promoting unrealistic body standards.

The comparison of one's body to images on social media is common.

The fashion industry's role in shaping body image perceptions.

The negative experience of trying on clothes from brands that only sell one size.

The pressure on children as young as 10 to diet.

The unrealistic standards set by the entertainment industry.

The importance of representation and diversity in media.

The need for brands to recognize that one size does not fit all.

The advice to communicate with family and friends instead of being on social media.

The suggestion to follow social media accounts that promote positive body image.

The message that self-worth is not determined by appearance or weight.

The encouragement to accept body neutrality and focus on mental health.

The final message to teenagers that they are good enough.

Transcripts

[Music]

do you know how it feels to be told

you're not good enough

do you know that feeling of waking up

every day anticipating all the criticism

and all the judgment

do you know that feeling of when your

heart beats out of control or fear and

disappointment

it's exhausting

our parents were subject to this

too of course through media and

advertising

sorry but

anxiety and depression rates are

increasing rapidly due to the

introduction of social media

we live in a world

through constant criticism

whether it's on ourselves or coming from

other people and we are actively

encouraged to do so and to be like this

so how are teenagers expected to grow up

happy and healthy

when the media is sending toxic messages

on you

are not good enough

my name is evie sedwick

and i have an anxiety disorder

i'm here to talk to you about how mental

health and teens

is increasing due to the different

elements of the media and the retail and

why this needs to stop

we need to wake up and realize there is

a problem

manipulation is real

but so is mental health

shame

guilty

not pretty enough

not skinny enough

do these words sound familiar

teenagers experience body image issues

daily and there are many ways that body

image struggles can control the way we

feel about ourselves

from mental health foundation with

yougov

with over a thousand of uk teenagers

between the ages of 13 and 19

have said that 37 percent felt upset and

31

felt ashamed towards their body

how upsetting is it that teenagers are

already worrying about their looks when

they are already still developing

now it has been argued that social media

is making this issue worse with the

misinformation that is shared the

influence of lifestyles and the harmful

content and as teenagers our minds we're

still developing so it's very easy to

become manipulated through the simple

use on our devices

now if you are consistently in this

negative mindset and being bombarded

with imagery and

with influencers who promote their daily

lives and say

look at me i just worked out for five

hours my abs oh they're perfect

it almost becomes impossible to get

better okay that was a bit of an

exaggeration but that's kind of how it

feels

now if you've ever seen the tv show

stranger things before

the mind flare is a perfect example

now this monster the mind player it

consistently spirals over the residents

of hawkins making them feel scared

making them feel worried and if we were

to compare that to the real world people

like me

can often feel like they're insecure and

they feel like the world is watching

them

can't you tell i'm a big fan of stranger

things

now i myself struggle with body image

it's a real issue and it's a real

problem

however when i was younger

i made the conscious decision on not to

allow myself to have social media

because i saw what

impact it had on the people closest to

me

and

you know as teenagers we have the urge

to experiment from time to time of

course

like downloading social media but one

thing we have to bear in mind is social

media is deliberately designed to

manipulate you

so for someone who does struggle with

anxiety i don't want my situation to

become even more worse

and make me feel more depressed with the

way i look

a study shown by the florida house

experiment

asked a

thousand people to volunteer in an

experiment about body image

now 87 percent of women and it and 65 of

men compare their bodies to other images

they see on social media

how upsetting is it

they're already being so manipulated by

the simple use on our devices and it

will only make us feel more depressed

with the way we look

now it's not just social media to blame

i mean

for decades

the fashion industry for one has had a

big impact on the way we view ourselves

for example

there are different brands out there

that only sell um

only one size and that size whether it's

an extra small or a small

brands such as brands such as these um

they are not inclusive to anyone who

isn't let's say an a size eight in this

size eight sizes

i forget all the sizes there's too many

sizes

my goodness

um

yes these sizes

sizes my goodness so many

they are not inclusive one bit and

i in my in my personal experience i was

affected by this um

i went to a store that only sold one

like their branding which one

one size fits all

um

and i tried on a couple of tops because

i did like them and uh i did fit them

however i tried on one of their skirts

um this particular band and i could

barely fit it i mean i had to like you

know suck in like there was no tomorrow

that sort of thing i don't know if

anyone's been there but yeah

it made me feel so incredibly insecure

so i went back to the clothing aisle

just to search for more appropriate size

then i only realized that the sizing it

was certainly one size

made me feel so insecure about myself

like i'm not good enough despite my size

and after

after that experience i felt more

ashamed with what i ate as well i mean

every time i ate like

chocolate cake

i'd immediately spiral

and i'd

feel awful about myself

from park nicolette mallory center a

presentation made by

heather argellovin

stated that around 30 percent of

children between the ages of 10

and 14 are actively dieting

children even younger than teenagers i

mean

teens shouldn't be dieting let alone

pre-teens unless there's a medical

reason to do so

if brands such as these have a way of

controlling the way we view feel about

ourselves

and to only then make us actively diet

what does that tell us

now there are a number of

models and plus size models actresses

and even musicians who go against the

trend on in order to be successful you

have to be slim

but on the whole though women and girls

in particular

are being encouraged to fit these

impossible standards

if different industries such as

film

music

clothing industry weren't forcing

celebrities to confirm what they believe

would make them likeable to an audience

the world would be such a different

place as celebrities wouldn't have to

hide their true selves rather be more

realistic

and the same goes with influences if we

have so many influences controlling the

way we feel about ourselves then how are

we supposed to cope

let alone how can we make this world a

better place for younger teenagers that

are being introduced to impossible

standards

like i said before i struggle through

this

problem

i worry if i ever if i'm ever doing

enough you know whether i'm likable to

an audience

but

for someone with anxiety i'm always

thinking about this i'm constantly

thinking about this and it's dreadful

however there are many signs that

monument struggles are improving in a

way

however that just doesn't take away all

the damage is done to others especially

with what teenagers are are

surrounded by

i mean for one

yes there are other brands apart from

other ones that are toxic

that

do a brilliant job

of representing wide range of diversity

in their clothing

um

if other brands were to see that you

know we're all different you know we

can't all exactly be the same

we still have worth and we're still

valued you know at the end of the day

it's

the product not the model and not the

size

i also have a message for these toxic

stores that only sell one size

one size does not fit all

it is essential to tell a trusted adult

about these sorts of feelings i mean yes

as may as you want to bottle them all up

and you don't want to tell anyone

because it's just

trust me keeping it inside it's way

worse trust me i've done it before and

it's definitely not recommended

um

if you consistently like bury your face

in your phone especially teenagers we're

always constantly on our devices try

spending that time

communicating with family and friends

you know it is said that at child mind

institute

children and teenagers with social media

are not learning the vital communication

skills that they need because they spend

a lot of time on their phones

if you do have social media instead of

following the people who make you feel

awful about yourself or if you look at

them and think i wish i had that oh my

goodness perfect life perfect life

not perfect life

then

try instead following people that

actually make you feel better or

if they show their genuine size if you

think about it if

we have so many influences or

telling us to lead this amazing life

we don't see the behind the scenes sort

of stuff i mean

if you consistently are negative or

thinking badly about yourself or have

poor mental health we should have more

platforms that actually show their

genuine sites if influencers were to

show or to open up about how they feel

and how

they tried to stay positive then it

would be such a different environment

and it would be

a much more supportive platform for

teenagers

if you consistently

view yourself in a mirror

or you use these useless weighing scales

or these measuring tape stop

stop right now

is our self-worth really on the way we

look

why does beauty have to be the ultimate

goal

stop using these useless weighing scales

and mirrors only point out what you

consider is a flaw

because it will not help

you have to start being nicer to

yourself

you have to accept your body does change

and that's okay

you have to accept body neutrality

where you're willing to accept yourself

for who you are

and you try to make your mental health

and your life more happier and more

healthy

i'm here to say

that any weight any food any calorie

you are worth

so much more than that

i choose not to have words control me

mock me or make me want to do something

outrageous to fit the standards we most

desire

i choose not to have them

as famous actors and dare proudly states

the best thing to realize

is that you are who you are and you've

got to work with what you've got

dear teenagers

you are good enough

thank you

[Applause]

you