Dove Shines Light On Corrosive Impact of Social Media
This commercial from Dove is one of the most powerful, heartbreaking, and touching ads that I’ve ever seen. And, as the mother of 4 young women, and a clinician who works with struggling clients every day, I want to thank Dove for shining a light on this epidemic.
As difficult and painful as it might be to watch, though, please don’t turn away — because this is our world and our reality as it really truly is in 2023.
Body image issues are, unfortunately, nothing new — particularly among women. What Dove’s ad so masterfully highlights, though, is the devastating effect that social media has had on body image issues and mental health — particularly among girls and younger women.
To put a finer point on this, statistics from Dove’s Self-Esteem Project Research for Kids Online Safety should terrify all of us, whether or not we have children of our own:
80% of young people believe that people their age are addicted to social media;
More than 50% of young people say social media makes them and their peers feel anxious;
7 in 10 young people (ages 10-17) have been exposed to content encouraging weight loss/body transformation on social media;
76% of young people in the U.S. say social media can make young people want to change their appearance;
51% of young people (ages 14-17) have been exposed to content encouraging restricted eating or disordered eating behaviors; and,
Over half of youth mental health specialists say exposure to harmful beauty content on social media can lead to physical consequences like disordered eating or self-harm.
If you’re struggling with emotional or disordered eating, or you know someone that is, please recognize that you’re not alone and there’s a world of support around you. Helpful resources include the following: