ABOUT THE UNREAL MEDIA IDEAL

Body editor apps fuel weight stigma for women and promote the idealization of thinness, and this unfortunately contributes to an increase in body image issues and eating disorders in society. In the words of body editor app creators, body editing features on apps include, “body reshape options to slim down your waist and give you a skinnier body,” “naturally reshape any body part you want,” “body editing tools such as muscle overlay, height adjustment, slimming option, and others,” in which it encourages females to slim down and accentuate certain sexual areas of our bodies. 

​These applications do not help in the cultivation of social media to become a safe space for women because they do not encourage women and girls to embrace their true and authentic selves and rather puts importance in the acceptance from peers in society before self-acceptance. Social media cannot grow into a positive, empowering space for recovery from negative body image while it continues to encourage and perpetuate the objectification and sexualization of one’s own body. Instead of using apps to create bodies deemed desirable, it is important to begin healing from diet culture and unrealistic body ideals so that women and those around them can start to make peace with who they are and can feel free to be themselves without public ridicule and pressure to conform.