Our screens allow us to see all kinds of things. We can keep up-to-date with what our friends are up to, check out the latest fashion styles, and even find out what is going on in the everyday lives of the rich and famous. 

While it might be great to get a sneak peek at it all, it’s important to remember that just because someone puts something online, it doesn’t mean it is definitely real. 

There are lots of ways to make fake content, with AI creating text, images and video in no time. And everyone has access to tools to do it.

That means you could be looking at content that is made up, but which makes you feel uncomfortable or pressured to do something you don’t want to do.

Body Image

It’s easy for young people to worry about how they look. It could be the shape of your body or what you wear. What other people think can really matter. 

This is sometimes known as ‘body image’. It’s all comes down to how satisfied or unsatisfied you are about the way you look. A positive body image means you are comfortable and confident with your body. Read our article on ‘What Is Good Body Image?’ for more.

Looking at online content can sometimes make you feel anxious or unsure. Your body image is affected, both positively and negatively, by what is around you and what you look at. 

The problem is, what is affecting your body image may not be the full truth. Images may be completely made up. They could have been posed to make someone look better than they are, or have a filter on them.  

This can create unrealistic expectations of what you should look like, negatively impacting your body image. We’ve got more on how body image can impact you in this article. We’ve also got body image experiences from Iona, Emily and Olivia.

Tips

If you’re worried about your body image being affected by what you see online, there are some things you can do.  

Choose Who You Follow 

Try to follow online accounts which are body positive and real. They will set realistic body standards, and help you to accept your own body image more. And if there is an account that makes you feel uncomfortable, unfollow them! 

Examine What You See 

If something looks too good to be true, there’s a good chance it probably has been altered in some way. Learn to look for any clues which might show that the image is fake or has been filtered in some way. 

Young Scot has some great tips on how to spot deepfakes and misinformation, offering key questions you should ask yourself when analysing content.

Take Breaks 

Being away from your screens, whether to get active or just relax, can help calm you. It will give you time to take a deep breath and realise that what you see online doesn’t control you.  

 
Talk It Through 

Sometimes we can believe that we’re the only ones who feel uncomfortable with how we look. Talk to your friends or a trusted adult about how you feel. As well as them reassuring you that you are fantastic just the way you are, you’ll probably find that they admit to some insecurities too. Everyone has them! 

Read our Screensavers’ Top Tips on Body Positivity here!