Photo comments help to keep it real
REALITY-CHECK comments on social media posts such as “she needs to eat more” help women feel better about their bodies, a new study has found.
Professor Marika Tiggemann from Flinders University examined the impact of comments such as “this isn’t realistic”, “this is too thin”, “she’s probably sucking in” and “she looks too fake” on Instagram posts showing women’s perfect bodies.
The study, of 192 women aged 17 to 25, found the addition of such views reduced body dissatisfaction among those viewing the images.
“Making and viewing reality check comments provides a potential way for women to mitigate some of the negative effect of Instagram imagery,” Professor Tiggemann said.
“This style of comment emphasises the unrealistic or unattainable nature of the photograph and reminds viewers that what is pictured is not appropriate to compare with,” she said.
“It seems that a reality check comment is able to effectively neutralise a positive appearance comment.”
Curve model Grace Clancy, 25, and friend Talia Lee Milverton, 22, are all about keeping it real and sending messages of body positivity on social media.
“I have edited my pictures in the past but I think now I’ve realised how damaging using Facetune and Photoshop is for young girls,” Ms Clancy said.
“You should be able to post who you are, and be honest.
“I really appreciate seeing people post natural photos of themselves and owning it.”
More than 100 million photos are uploaded on Instagram every day.
The research, published in Body Image journal, was undertaken with Vasiliki Georgia Velissaris, also from Flinders University.
It comes as Sydney content creator Laura Albertin, 32, told The Daily Telegraph social media has triggered her anxiety and claims being an influencer is not as glamorous as it seems.
She claims most influencers she knows are struggling to make ends meet, particularly after being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, yet they portray different lifestyles on social media.