Today, Verum woke up feeling cheerful and happy. But the moment she saw her face in the mirror, all her happiness disappeared. How could anybody be happy with a zit the size of Russia on their face? And when the red zit shows up on one’s nose, well, it’s even worse.
Verum walked into the Mystical dorm room with a stony expression. She thought, “Ugh, my day is ruined!”
Scorch said, “Why are you looking so upset, Verum? Did anything happen? Was there some bad news?”
Verum groaned and said, “The only bad news is my face. Look at this pimple!”
“Ouch,” said Scorch, “But it’s okay. We all get pimples sometimes.”
“You never do!” said Verum.
Scorch chuckled and said, “No, I do get them. It’s just that my face is red anyway. So, you can’t see them. It’s like an Instagram filter. Come on now! Let’s check the news.”
“Okay,” said Verum as she sat in front of her trusty crystal ball. She said, “Today’s story is rather relatable. Facebook officials conducted internal research on Instagram, a social media platform, in March 2020. According to this research, this social media is harmful to teenage girls’ body image and well-being.”
Body image means how people see themselves and whether or not they think they are attractive.
“Oh, no,” replied Scorch, “Isn’t Instagram mostly used by young adults?”
“Exactly,” answered Verum, “That’s why this is such a huge concern. Moreover, Facebook, which owns Instagram, conducted this research in 2020! But it didn’t release it. Instead, experts allege that the company focused on earning more and more profits.”
“Hmm, I see,” said Scorch, “But why does Instagram cause body image issues?”
“Well, the teens’ peers, celebrities, and influencers post pictures on Instagram. The more likes these pictures get, the better it is considered,” said Verum, “But many people use filters or edit their pictures to remove any flaws. So what these teenagers see isn’t real at all. And their real flawed but beautiful bodies seem not so good in comparison. This damages their self-esteem and causes body image issues.”
“In the long run, these can lead to health conditions like eating disorders,” added Verum.
“But you agree that all types of bodies are beautiful?” said Scorch.
“Of course,” exclaimed Verum.
“Then, please stop fretting about your pimple, Verum,” said Scorch, “You’re beautiful with or without it.”