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IN-DEPTH Monday, March 22, 2021 ECHO
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(Social media) is both good and bad because there is a lot more representation but I feel like you can easily compare yourself more with social media.”
Alicia Margalli, freshman
The truth b
The impact of socia body-positive move
Jacob Khabie, Andy Melear & Jayde Claus jacobkhabie@slpecho.com andymelear@slpecho.com jaydeclausmann@slpecho.com
Understanding the movement
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Photo: Molly Schochet Post this: Park students describe what they love about themselves on post-it notes March 12. Social Media and
lthough her club focuses on empowering specifically women, junior and co-president of Girls United Ella Roether said the body-positivity movement still has a long way to go to ensure inclusive representation for all. “A big part of it is (making sure) that all body types and skin colors and genders are represented,” Roether said. “It’s importa to recognize that it’s not just women, and it’s not just made for bigger women. Everyone can participate in it, and it’s not just fo white women. I think that it’s important to make sure that the movement is intersectional.” The body-positivity movement started to gain popularity around 2012, and the original idea behind the movement was t confront the senseless beauty standards placed on women. For junior Symone Morrison, the body-positivity movemen is about empowering people of all shapes and sizes. “It’s something that we really needed as a society,” Morrison said. “For years, we put people down for what they looked like because it’s not what you see in magazines and on prints.” Through her experiences providing clothes for others, Cat Polivoda, a self-identified fat-liberation activist and plus-sized clothing store owner, said she has been able to spread bodypositivity through her work. “I’m sure fashion is fun, but what I really care about is peop being comfortable and confident in their bodies,” Polivoda said. “I found that clothes are a really good way into those conversations with people.” Body-positive social media influencer Brianna Tam has amassed over 4 million likes on TikTok. While her success rose because of her outspoken advocacy for self-love, Tam said her role in the community is still fluctuating. “It’s a community that I’m a part of and trying to strengthen and bring attention to, but also I’m still learning from other people,” Tam said. Women are not the only ones who have faced unrealistic beauty standards. Health teacher Amy Pieper-Berchem said me
DESIGN BY Molly Schochet
