University students spend a ton of time on our phones, frequently scrolling through Instagram. The images that we take in during this time can have immense effects on our mental health and body image. It feels like we’re only ever seeing one type of body; that is, a skinny, white, able-bodied, cisgender body, and when we don’t see ourselves reflected in that image, it can lead to body shaming, insecurity, and disordered eating.
To combat this image, which, unfortunately, is not confined to Instagram, but rather, to society as a whole, I follow empowered humans, existing in their bodies, and telling their stories with honestly, love, and no bs. Here are some of my favourite body-positive instagrammers.
Meghan Jayne Crabbe (@bodyposipanda)
Meghan’s account is one of the first body positive accounts I followed, about 5 years ago, and I have been consuming her powerful, technicolour content ever since! Maintaining an impressive balance between sunshiny positivity and forgiving, fluctuating reality, following her account is sure to make you feel better about yourself, or at least think about how you could improve your relationship with yourself.
Ruby Allegra (@rvbyallegra)
Ruby, a body positive, gender fluid instagrammer with arthrogryposis, lives unapologetically in their body. A trained makeup artist, Ruby expresses themself through look after look, and plays frequently with gender and makeup. They also create gorgeous art celebrating all bodies, and as a disabled person, bring special attention to how body positivity, feminism, and activism interact with disability.
(Spoiler alert: we have a lot of work to do.)
Dronme Davis (@dronme)
Talk about incredible young people! Dronme is a college student from California, making art, standing up for the black community, and figuring life out. She talks about what’s going on in her life with transparency and vulnerability, even when it isn’t easy, and uses her platform to lift other voices up with her. Her feed is also #goals and she really knows how to take a bomb selfie.
Jameela Jamil (@jameelajamilofficial)
You may know this actress from her role as stuck up Tahani on “The Good Place”, but offscreen, she is a warrior against diet culture, responsible for the I WEIGH Community, is “about radical inclusivity, so that no one feels alone”. You may have noticed Jameela making waves on the internet when she made a spoof video bashing weight loss companies’ laxative “remedies”. If you haven’t seen it… You should.
Alok Vaid-Menon (@alokvmenon)
Gender non-conforming “fashionist@” Alok, is a New York based writer, performer, and speaker. Impossibly creative, they churn out looks that intrigue the eye and provoke thoughts. Speaking often about the experience of trans people in the aesthetics-obsessed world of fashion, they are eternally self-assured and fabulous. Alok is a true pioneer, and I believe that we all have something to learn from them, whether it be individuality, confidence, or simply style.