Body image, a concept neglected in the diet-tainted era of the ’80s and ’90s has been a rising concern in the modern day, especially in younger generations.
Defined as a person’s subjective perception of their own body, calling ‘body image’ an ‘issue’ is itself reflective of a modern social phenomena. Nowadays, it seems as though the very concept of ‘body image’ is inherently negative, even though the definition does not mention anything that would invite such pessimism, demonstrating how Gen Z nearly ubiquitously thinks of their physical appearances as flawed. Why?
Amongst other factors, comparison between bodies has been shown to negatively impact one’s own perception of their body, and with the increasing permeation of social media into our everyday lives, it is no wonder that negative body image is so common among younger generations.
Today’s youth are forcefully bombarded with a sky-rocketing amount of images that make us wonder “how on God’s green earth does anybody expect anyone to look like that?” which, due to social pressures and beauty standards, is immediately followed by, “how can I get myself to look like that?”
Daily Videographer Nicklas Lyskawa can be reached at nlyskawa@umich.edu.