The Influence of Influencers: Do they do more harm than good when it comes to women’s health?

In 2010, the social media photo-sharing app Instagram was founded by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger. In the following years, the app would completely reshape the celebrity landscape. Famous faces can now share their every move, look, and outfit with fans and followers. 

Originally, this was seen as a positive thing. Since Insta’s arrival, the general public has been granted unprecedented access to the lives of the rich and famous. But in recent years, many people have started to discuss the negative consequences that have come with this increased access to celebrities’ lives. At the heart of this discussion is the impact that influencers and celebrities are having on women’s health, both physical and mental.

Here are four ways in which Instagram and the influencer culture have impacted women’s health.

Appearance anxiety

Social media posts have become a massive part of young people’s lives. It could be argued that to many, they’ve become a necessity of a night out, even a decision-making factor when determining where to go on holiday or what restaurant to visit.

This culture of “living for the gram” doesn’t just impact where you spend your time though. It also drives up the pressure to constantly look a certain way or at your best in preparation for the impending upload.

This new culture has driven up appearance anxiety and led to the other factors that are mentioned in this post.  

Creating unrealistic expectations

One of the main criticisms of social media apps, and in particular Instagram, is the fact that what we see often isn’t real. The ease with which photos can be filtered and edited today has created a sea of manufactured looks that don’t exist in the real world.

Despite this, it doesn’t stop young women from striving to achieve these Insta-inspired looks. Whether that’s related to body shape, skin health, or teeth whiteness, expectations in the beauty world have never been more unrealistic and a damaging side effect is the number of girls striving to achieve these unattainable looks.

As a result of these unrealistic expectations, social media is at risk of causing both mental and physical health issues like depression and eating disorders. 

Pressure to undergo cosmetic surgery

Making money based purely on how you look isn’t a new phenomenon. Catwalk models can be traced back to the early 1900s when the first catwalks took place in Paris. But social media, and in particular Instagram, took this to new heights.

But models of today are far more likely to have undergone some form of aesthetic enhancement. For example, UK influencer and reality TV star Olivia Attwood has undergone cosmetic surgery while the world-famous Kardashian sisters have worked with Dr. Fisher, a celebrity surgeon in Beverly Hills. 

While young females have always felt the pressure to jump on the latest fashion and skincare trends, a more worrying trend that’s emerging is the new pressure for women to feel the need to turn to cosmetic surgery in an attempt to keep up with the looks of celebrities and influencers.

Social comparison

While we all enjoy snooping on celebs’ profiles and seeing how they live their lives, it does lead us to constantly compare ourselves to those who we follow on the platform. Often, these are celebrities with more fame, more money and more material possessions. 

To make this even worse, brands and influencers have fueled this further by employing influencer marketing which occurs when a company and an individual form a collaboration. The fact that influencers and celebrities have taken over our feeds has given us a constant comparison battle against the rich and famous.

Final thoughts

It’d be easy to read this post and assume that Instagram and influencers serve no positive purpose. But in fact, this wouldn’t be true. When used correctly, social media serves many benefits including enhanced marketing opportunities for small businesses and increased interaction with friends, family, and celebrities. If you do find yourself struggling with any of the issues mentioned in this article, contact a professional mental health provider or counsellor. 

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Amy Jones is a freelance health and wellness writer from Manchester UK. She loves researching and writing about health topics, as well as keeping up to date with the latest health news, and eco-friendly brands. Her passion for health and wellness stems from her innate desire to educate people on how to properly take care of their bodies, spot any early signs of illness and take the best preventative methods. When not writing, you can find her taking long walks in the countryside with her dog, listening to groundbreaking podcasts or browsing her nearest bookstore.