SCI CURIOUS EVENT REVIEWS... MIRROR MIRROR

Event reviews by our Sci Curious members

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Mirror Mirror: reflections on cultural pressures of beauty

This discussion explored the psychology behind perfection and body image, and delved into disorders such as body dysmorphic disorder, which involves obsessing about a perceived or imagined problem with one’s appearance. We looked at the measures young people take to perfect their bodies, from Brazilian waxing to labiaplasty, through to body building and anabolic steroid use.

 

Review #1 by Briana

In a world where we are constantly being bombarded by the ever-changing definition of the ideal body, we run the risk of trying too hard to meet these unobtainable ideals.

Through the Mirror Mirror panel, we explored the struggle to be society’s perfect.

With the age of image based social networking upon us we are looking not to celebrities as our source of comparison, but to our peers. This, according to our panel, can bring about an even greater sense of dissatisfaction. Instagram is littered with #fitspo, with every second image being about acquiring the Kardashian physique that we all know is more plastic than fitness. The result? A “sea of clones” with plastic surgery becoming more commonplace, affordable and appealing.

We were shown the striking similarities between the attitudes and practices of those suffering from muscular dysmorphia and anorexia. It was refreshing to have a male perspective on the issue of body image, yet equally worrying that the numbers of people experiencing physical dysmorphia is increasing at a rapid rate. Without a true representation of what realistic, normal bodies look like, young people have no point of reference and have a greater chance of falling into some sort of body dysmorphia. People struggle to understand what constitutes the range of normal in relation to their bodies. This has even manifested itself in children as young as 14 looking for genital plastic surgery, with young girls even approaching the royal children’s hospital for these procedures. The majority of the information available online is not scientific, realistic or reliable. With no other source of information, people are comparing themselves to a limited definition of normal and fearing so intensely the possibility that they may be different or ugly by comparison.

Advertising can be cruel, it can play on your insecurities to make you feel like you need x,y,z to feel like you are enough. It permeates every social media platform, every website, every billboard. Growing up in such a climate can be very damaging and difficult for children and teens, especially as they try to make sense of the world and their bodies.

The advice the panel gave to a question on how to help the next generation survive these tumultuous times was incredibly insightful:

1) Be aware of your own undue biases and transferring your insecurities onto your children
2) Encourage a child not to place undue emphasis on their appearance as a sense of self worth
3) Emphasize what the body can do and how that is a greater indicator of self worth.

As someone who is still learning to love themselves, it was surprising and saddening to see how commonplace the experience of insecurity and constant self-comparison is. It is so easy to fall into the trap of thinking you are the only one feeling uncomfortable in your skin, but the majority of the population are in the same boat.
However, I do think that there is a line to be drawn in relation to how much we can play the “I’m a victim of circumstance, society and advertising” card. If we can be self-aware enough to notice that, surely, we have the potential to burst that bubble. At some point, it becomes a choice. We can choose to work on ourselves to change our perceptions. It is a long uphill battle but the view from the top will be worth it, I promise.

 

Review #2 by Jack

The themes of this discussion centred mainly around how and why people attempt to attain a “perfect” appearance, particularly with reference to the contemporary developments of social media and accessible plastic surgery. Social media’s growing influence is ever-present in our news headlines and more money is being made from social media influencing than ever before. With plastic surgery becoming increasingly common and affordable, the adverse effects of some of these surgeries are coming to light and with the concerns about the moral and health implications of plastic surgery. Once again science and technology are asked: “Should we if we can?”. The panelists each gave their own view of these issues and questions, each with their own personal and professional perspectives. Overall the notion of and pressure for a “perfect” appearance was very thoroughly and holistically discussed.

As a young person, body image seems to be becoming an increasing issue amongst people my age both male and female alike. Sometimes I need to unfollow accounts just to stop receiving posts about fitness teas or the latest protein supplement. This discussion was an eye-opener to the implications of these sociocultural pressures being exerted against young people. Social media is often used by fitness enthusiasts as a means of camaraderie, but this at times can become a sinister pressure for young people to take more extreme measures to look a certain way. This can sometimes lead to body dysmorphia and muscle dysmorphia, where a person forms a negatively-distorted view about their own physical appearance. This discussion was so relevant to young people that I wish that it had been shown on national television.

 
Brendan Kidney