As we all know, social media creates toxic ideas of what men and women “should or should not” look like. Instagram, in particular, is well known for showing bodies that are in reality almost unattainable without medical aid or some sort of supplement. For teens, it is difficult to distinguish between what is someone’s social media highlight reel and what is real life. Unfortunately, with technology advancing so quickly and parents allowing their children to have social media accounts at younger ages, the idea of self-worth and high self-esteem seems to be a foreign language now. Despite this, Instagram is doing its best to tackle this issue by banning users under the age of 18 years old from viewing posts promoting weight loss products or cosmetic surgeries.
Instagram and Facebook both announced this ban, altering their terms and conditions in September in an attempt to censor teens from the misleading messages associated with diet ads. Instagram did so after directly calling out the Kardashian family for their frequent posts promoting “miracle diets.” It is no secret that the Kardashian’s have features typically only attainable through cosmetic surgery, but ads promoting organizations like The Flat Tummy Co. are quite misleading to the youth who look to these women as role models. Another celebrity who was mentioned in the reasoning for this ban was Cardi B. who promoted a detox tea that was just another form of a laxative, as many are.
GRAZIA
Not only are these ads detrimental to the physical health of their users, but also mental health. Mental health has taken higher priority recently than it has in the past and Instagram is making sure that they are standing their ground. The social media platform understands that celebrities endorsing these sorts of products are essentially lying to their users by insinuating that their figures are a result of these products when in reality they’re a product of cosmetic surgery, fad diet products and photoshop. By altering their terms and conditions in regards to post content, Instagram is making a statement to their users that they will be protected from false advertising and that they will not allow their platform to be used for the promotion of physically and mentally abusive products.
It is important to note that adults can also be affected by these posts. The concept behind the age limitation on the ban is that adults are more apt to have the ability to distinguish between what is real and what is an advertising ploy, but it is still extremely tempting when public figures make something such as losing weight seem so easy for the average person. This is a step in the right direction, but it does pose the question: how far are advertisers willing to go to make money, and does it matter if it is at the cost of a fan’s physical and mental well-being?
(To learn more about the negatives of shadowbanning, click here)
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Edited by Madison Greer