Facebook and Your Body Image

April Daniels Hussar,SELF magazine

"OMG I look so fat in those jeans! I'm un-tagging that photo of me!" "Wow, my old roommate's arms looks so skinny in her wedding dress..." "Yikes, I barely recognize myself in these photos from high school!"

Have thoughts like that ever crossed your mind while checking your Facebook feed? If you're like most people, they probably have. According to a recent survey conducted by The Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt, Facebook may be yet another source of our body image problems.

Wanting to take a close look at Facebook behavior, The Center commissioned a public survey to examine how social media is influencing body image and hyper-awareness of body size. Of the 600 respondents surveyed (ages 16 to 40), 51 percent reported that seeing photos of themselves and others on Facebook makes them more conscious of their body and weight. Thirty-two percent of respondents said they feel sad when comparing Facebook photos of themselves to their friends' photos. And 37 percent said they felt they needed to change specific parts of their body when comparing their bodies to friends' bodies in photos.

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The end result of all this comparison, says Dr. Steven Crawford, Associate Director of The Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt, is an online atmosphere that normalizes an obsession with weight, size and appearance. He says that Facebook, compared with other forms of media, can be particularly impactful on your self-esteem because of the immediacy and constant accessibility of it. "Even when you are by yourself or home alone, you have hundreds of Facebook friends (and their photos) online, perhaps creating constant access for comparing yourself physically and reminding you of what you don't like about your own body."

Additionally, says Dr. Crawford, "You are seeing real people and bodies -- people you know and are connected to -- instead of models and celebrities you may not relate to as much and whom you often know have been altered or Photoshopped."

Finally, points out Dr. Crawford, "Not only are you looking at photos of others, but other people are looking at photos of YOU."

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How can you tell if Facebook is having a negative effect on you? First, says Dr. Crawford, you need to ask yourself how much time you spend comparing your body to other people's bodies online. "If you are not able to focus on the beneficial and positive aspects of connecting to people online and are instead feeling worried or find yourself ruminating over how you look in a photo someone posted than your time on Facebook, you may be crossing the line into body anxiety."

Other important questions to ask yourself:

- How often do you publicly or privately criticize your own body?
- Do your comments on other people's photos regularly focus on weight or appearance?
- Do you ever get overwhelmed by this? How do you cope? (If the answer is by dieting or engaging in harmful, expensive or dangerous behaviors to alter your body and/or weight, then it's a problem, says Dr. Crawford.)

Also, says Dr. Crawford, if you find yourself altering yourself in photos before you post them, or constantly de-tagging yourself in other people's photos because you don't like the way you look, it could be a red flag that your online time is triggering or stirring up some negative body image thoughts.

But can't Facebook have the opposite effect? I know that when I was training for my first half marathon last year, I kept my Facebook friends updated on my progress ("Just managed to run 3 miles with only two walk breaks!)" and found all the notes of encouragement and support really helpful and inspiring.

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"You're right that Facebook can be a great way to get encouragement for meeting your goals," says Dr. Crawford. "Be mindful though when you are the one giving feedback and encouragement that you stay focused on the goal and the action -- the real success. All too often, people's feedback, even about things as great as running a marathon or having a baby, end up focusing on the person's weight and appearance."

People are not intentionally creating this negative body image atmosphere online, Dr. Crawford makes sure to point out. "Most of the time comments are really not meant to be mean or hurtful," he says. "In fact, a lot of people may think they're being positive or polite when commenting on someone's weight loss or congratulating someone for joining a new diet program."

Additionally, he says, when someone comments negatively about her own body on Facebook, she may not realize that it also sends a general message about her views or stereotypes regarding weight and beauty to all of her Facebook friends as well.

Yikes. Food for thought, right?

Dr. Crawford offers these tips for keeping Facebook a place that makes you feel good -- not down on yourself because you think your face looks fat from that angle:

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- Take a stand against the body negativity and weight obsession within your online communities. Try only posting about or commenting on friends' life events, hobbies, interests and successes instead of zeroing in on how they look or what they weigh.
- Consider unfriending or "hiding" comments from people who make derogatory comments based on people's weight or appearance.
- When commenting on photos of yourself or others on Facebook, be sure to focus on the substance and content of the photos instead of body and appearance-only.
- Be mindful that the comments you make about yourself also impact others and are a public reflection of your values with respect to weight, size and beauty. Never post anything about yourself that you wouldn't say about your best friend.
- Focus on projecting your inner beauty to your Facebook friends through your photos and comments online. Resist the urge to de-tag yourself in photos if it's solely based on a negative thought about the way you look or what you weigh.

Finally, says Dr. Crawford, "If you find yourself unable to escape feelings of jealousy, sadness or comparison while online, consider taking a break from Facebook and log off. Use the time that you would spend on Facebook to acquire a new hobby, connect with body-positive friends or engage in other activities that honor your body in a positive way."

And if you ever find yourself engaging in disordered eating or dangerous behaviors, seek professional help right away.

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