Children, body image and the media
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By Lucy
From the media, social media and gender stereotypes, there are lots of reasons why children could be worried about their appearance or body image. Body image isn’t just about how we look. It is tied up with body confidence, self-worth, and a number of other factors.
Popular social media apps such as TikTok and Instagram mean young people are constantly confronted with popular and unpopular images. Every day, they contend with unhealthy content on their feeds.
How does negative body image affect children?
As young people grow, they develop attitudes towards themselves, their relationships and their aspirations. Developing a negative body image or low self-esteem as a child could have a lasting impact. It can lead to a sense of low self-worth, which can have many negative effects on a child’s development.
Low self-esteem has been shown to lower aspirations in school, contribute to risky behaviours such as drug and alcohol misuse or unsafe sex, and can lead to eating disorder...
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