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IMPACT
Our bodies are often a key way of identifying ourselves; whether we’re sporty, young or even our gender. Nila Varman questions how this identity can be morphed by the opinions and words of others.
Who am I? A question asked so often that, at times, I find it almost loses its meaning when asking myself in front of a mirror, or when I’m in bed contemplating and overthinking. Are our subconscious thoughts the enemy or are they just the soundtrack to our everyday lives? I was once told that these thoughts are the hardest to argue with, especially if they pertain to the mismatch between how you look versus how you feel. What do I identify myself as? Even that question is tainted by social constraints; our very concept of identity is confined by conditioning to a small set of lazy labels for disingenuous categories like fat, thin, slim, pretty, and most perniciously of all, ugly. Society’s changing standards of what is considered “fat”, “thin” or “ideal” may be perceived as a result of manifesting unrealistic standards. Nowadays thestandards we set for ourselves based on subconscious comparisons and “body image”, is shifted from a personal understanding and relationship with our bodies to a dreaded conundrum marred by shame and guilt. I’m no stranger to body shaming, and frankly I’ve lost count of the number of times strangers, relatives and that one aunt, who for some unfathomable reason always claims my face is rounder than the last time she saw me, have criticised my appearance with snide comments. Let’s not forget to mention the judging look when helping myself to a second portion of food because let’s face it, I love food! Unfortunately, I’m so far from alone, because nearly 94% of teenage girls and 65% of boys have reported feeling insecure about their bodies due to body shaming. Contrary to popular conjectures, a healthy body image is not just deciding that you don’t “hate” yourself, but more accepting yourself as you are.
My Body
Social media used to be fun, but nowadays, it increasingly strikes me as a façade of entertainment, because when I’m not posting, I’m comparing myself to everyone else, or being bombarded by toxic celeb-endorsed appetite suppressants. Though body positivity is gaining traction, others simultaneously find more creative ways to add new words to their distorted vocabulary with which to undermine others. According to psychologists, the dissatisfaction of one’s self appearance is enhanced by internalising thin ideals and social standards of physical appearance (Thompson & Stice, 2001).
“Unfortunately, I’m so far from alone, because nearly 94% of teenage girls and 65% of boys have reported feeling insecure about their bodies due to body shaming” As a woman, I find my personality and appearance playing victim to judgement and labelling by others’ definitions. If we stand up for ourselves, we’re loud or boisterous; we’re kindly put forth as “voluptuous” if we’re curvy (as if that were a bad thing); and if we take a selfie or, let’s be real, use self-timer in aesthetic places, we’re narcissistic. Let’s remember that before photographs, men used to spend hours being painted, whilst dressed in robes to depict how long they’d been thinking for that day. The stereotypes centred around body identity only perplex understanding further rather than helping to form a true identity.
“As a woman, I find my personality and appearance playing victim to judgement and labelling by others’ definitions”
