Abstract
Several studies show that young people today are negatively impacted by body image ideals in social media. We studies young people's reflections on body image and body pressure. More precisely: How does a selected group of third-year upper secondary school students understand their body images and body pressures through social media? Eight third-year students, four of each gender, were interviewed from two upper secondary schools in a medium-sized city in Norway. An interesting find was that body pressure was not experienced solely as one-sided pressure exerted externally by media sources, but that they also personally influenced others through their own active use of social media channels like Facebook and Instagram. They reported having experienced body pressure in their own lives and in their immediate environment, and that both genders are affected. The study builds on sociocultural body theory based on Foucault's ideas and work, but also uses more recent media theory for the analysis and discussion. A BOPS model developed by the researchers was used for the operational parameters that is centered around the concepts of panopticon, synopticon and omniopticon.
Highlights
According to Giddens (1997), we live in a secular age in which individuals are responsible for defining their own body, free toshape the body “in our image” or in line with the body ideals of the time
Previous research addresses whether Norwegian children and young people today are exposed to body and appearance pressure from social media, where the ideal body is portrayed (Øgård-Repål et al, 2017; Østvold, 2017
We examined in detail how upper secondary school pupils reflected on the topics of the body and body pressure
Summary
According to Giddens (1997), we live in a secular age in which individuals are responsible for defining their own body, free to (re)shape the body “in our image” or in line with the body ideals of the time. We first present previous research within body pressure, our theoretical framework and a method section and the findings and discussion. Previous research addresses whether Norwegian children and young people today are exposed to body and appearance pressure from social media, where the ideal body is portrayed (Øgård-Repål et al, 2017; Østvold, 2017). According to Holmqvist (2013), young people exist in a distinctly idealized and standardized body culture, where the idea of external physical beauty is presented as ideal, created and maintained by the mass media, advertising and the fashion industry. On the question of whether young people experience pressure to look good or to have a nice body More girls (35%) than boys (10%) responded in the affirmative regarding pressure to look good. 9% of boys and 11% of girls have experienced somebody posting hurtful photos or videos of them online or via mobile phones. Bratland-Sanda and Sundgot-Borgen (2011) pointed out that there are more girls at a normal weight than boys who want to reduce their body weight, while there are more boys at a normal weight who want to increase it
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