Beauty queen at 15, but Jess knows that online pursuit of perfection can endanger young people
A TEENAGE model from Leicestershire has spoken out about how seeing unrealistic images online can be damaging to the health of young people.
Jess Commons, 15, was last month crowned Miss Royal United Kingdom Junior Teen, and she uses her pageant platform to encourage young women to have a positive body image, after struggling with the issue herself.
She said: “I personally think body image is such an important issue in women and the younger generation.
“Nowadays social media is a big part of the world, people are always on their phone scrolling through Instagram and this can really get you down and can really affect your mental health and cause many problems such as anorexia.
“I’m so passionate about this issue as I have been affected in the past with social media affecting my mental health.
“One of my friends recently at the age of 15 has just recovered from anorexia, this has really opened my eyes I and want to raise awareness
I have been affected in the past with social media affecting my mental health. Miss Royal United Kingdom Junior Teen Jess Commons
and to help others to not go through this horrific eating disorder.”
The MP for Bosworth, Dr Luke Evans, has brought forward legislation to require that warning labels are put on digitally enhanced photos of models, to say they have been altered, as the images may promote unattainable body images.
Jess says she supports his campaign.
She said: “I think that if this new law was to be put in place it would help thousands of people all over the world , especially the younger generation, as social media is such a vital thing nowadays and can really get people down by not looking a certain way.”
Norway recently brought in similar legislation, requiring paid posts on social media platforms that feature modified images to include labels describing how they have been altered.