IS THE DIGITAL WORLD TAKING A STEP BACKWARDS WHEN IT COMES TO BODY IMAGE?

The topic of 'Body Image' seems to be a main focus in today's society throughout the realm of digital media, but has there been as much of an increase in self-esteem and body confidence as we thought?

The rise of social media allows each individual to put their views across the internet, encouraging females and males that there is no such thing as “perfection” and that we should all be comfortable in our own skin however when we have brands who thrive on only allowing for example, very slim mannequins in their stores to represent only a portion of the sizes they sell, for example, Topshop (see article here), and campaigns which contain the wrong wording, suggesting that an image of slim, toned and attractive models is the only representation of “The Perfect Body” we can't help but be baffled by these contradicting and conflicting messages. If you didn't know, that campaign is run by Victoria's Secret where they're talking about an item of clothing that will make you have “the perfect body”, however, their photo is extremely misleading, making some jump to conclusions of what their message is. I think there is nothing wrong with them showing slim, toned figures but have some variety to incorporate all body shapes. Not all of us are slim and toned. I mean, if they're going to show a photo like this and have large font across it saying “The Perfect Body” generally, that is what people are going to assume they mean. Here is a link to an article on the matter.

Here's the actual campaign image:

There is such a huge and complex situation going on right now in the digital world surrounding body image and self-esteem that you can't possibly begin to wrap your head around it as there's just too much going on. Firstly there's celebrities campaigning that whatever you look like, you should accept and not try to be something you're not which is great but what about when they go against this general message? For example, Beyonce's latest “photoshop scandal” where it thought that her Instagram photo has been edited to make her legs appear more slender. How is this portraying the message that you should be happy in your own skin? 

Then there's some magazines claiming to be pro-female and pro-feminists but then airbrushing their natural looks within an inch of their life!? To me, that is pure hypocrisy and it is absolutely ludicrous that these magazines are praised for sending out these positive messages and then get away with altering the images they show just to fit in with their “requirements”.

Another issue I have with brands are their employee requirements and target audience. An article from The Daily Mail outed the CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch on the policies of his ideal customers. Here's a little snippet from that article:

Robin Lewis, co-author of The New Rules of Retail, told Business Insider the retailer's CEO, Mike Jeffries, 'doesn't want larger people shopping in his store, he wants thin and beautiful people...People who wear his clothing should feel like they're one of the "cool kids."'

This is a whole other issue in itself which can go from self-esteem and body image to "kids" trying to fit in and be cool which could then lead to a whole host of problems such as bullying, isolation, and again not feeling "cool" enough which could then lead to depression and other issues of a similar nature. This proves that a brand ideal like Jeffries proposes has a knock on effect and opens a huge can of worms and not just in body image issues.

Bringing digital media into this, retailer's like A&F have models standing outside their stores in order for customers to have their photos taken with them. This is then undoubtedly uploaded to their social media accounts which, just like a vicious circle, sends the unwanted message of how an individual is supposed to look.

There's so much on this A&F background that if I start now, I'll be here for a month of Sundays. All you have to do is type in "Abercrombie & Fitch - Attractive" into Google or any other search engine and you'll find a massive list of articles on the outrageous polices they have. It's actually quite unbelievable... For example, they don't cater to audiences over a certain size, they admit to only hiring "attractive people". Here's another snippet of an interview conducted with Jeffries in 2006:

'That’s why we hire good-looking people in our stores. Because good-looking people attract other good-looking people, and we want to market to cool, good-looking people. We don’t market to anyone other than that.'

What strikes me is that this whole issue can be avoided if people like Mike Jeffries, brands like VS, Topshop and magazines cared a little less about the money they're making (as they've already built a nice sum of money through making people feel low about themselves) and put a little more effort into making people feel good and positive about their bodies. You never know, that could actually solve some serious problems we're facing in today's society. It could also help eradicate the fact that 32% of people asked, agree with the statement ‘your value as a person depends on how you look’ according to questions commissioned by Government Equalities Office in the 2013 British Social Attitudes Survey. The study then went on to reveal that 'around one-third (32%) of those in the youngest cohort (group) agreed with the statement ‘your value as a person depends on how you look’. The fact that it is the youngest cohort (ages 18-34) agreeing with this question is complete proof that we need to act now instead of letting these brands, magazines and other forms of media as well, impact the success we've had so far in restoring positivism and that your value as a person DOES NOT depend on how you look.

If things don't begin to change for the better and soon, this is what's going to become the norm:

Are you okay with this?

We need to permanently stop these brands and forms of media from trying to make us conform to their unrealistic ideal of perfection, not just confront them and then they make a public apology and all is forgotten. Whether you're naturally slim or not, we all need to unite and ensure these people that we won't stand for it any longer. Any size or shape should be accepted in today's society to reflect realism and that in itself should be a brand's encouragement and selling point.

If you'd like to join me on my 'Take Back What's Yours' campaign, please do get in touch. If you want to read a bit more about what it's all about, here's some posts!

Thank you for reading!

Get in touch! 

Twitter: @ChloesConcept

Email: ChloesConcept@gmail.com

Tumblr Ask: http://ChloesConcept.tumblr.com/ask

Chloe x

Image Sources:

• 1st Image
• VS Image
• 3rd Image 

Bullying: Lizzie's story.

Hello

How are you?

I’m Lizzie from creative blog Head full of flowers.

Today, I’m here to talk to you about my bullying story.

I was 11 years old, a year 7 student, a child, when I moved schools. It wasn’t a drastic change, but instead of keeping me on at the middle school I was at, my parents decided it would be best for me to go to the high school in the neighbouring town. This was fine and I was fairly happy with the whole idea. I knew I’d miss seeing the friends I’d spent every day with since nursery school, but I was also exited to go to high school and I knew I’d see them often.

Now, all 3 of my siblings had attended my new high school and with a 5 year age gap between me and my second eldest sister, she was still a student there. She showed me around and I soon settled in, I made a lot of friends and had a fantastic time. I’m a quiet sort of person but I made friends quickly, they appeared to like my sense of humour and free spirited nature.

Or, so I thought.

Year 8 came about and everything was as usual. Until about a month in, we had a few new arrivals, one being a really sweet girl who joined my form group. Now, my closest group of friends decided they weren’t going to be so welcoming to the new girl but alas, I continued to have lunch with her and console her that ‘they’d ease off’ and that ‘I’d talk to them.’ My closest school friend at the time joined me in doing so, until one lunch time.

I was traitor. I was ugly. I was *insert*

More importantly, I was the new target.

One friend of mine had only recently really joined our friendship group and while the others would only shoot whispers of these cruel names behind my back, this girl would go to the extreme to make sure I knew exactly what she thought of me.

I’d hide in the library, reading book after book but somehow, she always found me.

I’d stay by my sisters’ side all lunch time, but eventually, the bell would ring again.

I’d go to gym, and always be paired with her.

She and her friends would taunt me and then pretend to be being friendly whenever someone saw, even after my old friends had backed off.

And my family tried everything, bless them. I just wasn't myself anymore. I was emotionally and physically exhausted.

But then came one day in gym. My teacher knew what was going on, yet still she paired me with her.

And as soon as my eyes stole a glance at the clock, a basket ball slammed straight into my stomach.

I guess that’s when I realised I’d had enough: I could take no more.

The Easter Holiday came and I begged my mum to send me back to middle school. 

 Wow do I remember that first day back, I could have cried my eyes out with happiness, when I saw all my old friends…and new, waiting outside the schools office door for me, when they showed me to my new-old locker and took me to my first dreaded maths lesson… that was the day I realised, I was worth something more than what I had been made to feel. I'm so so grateful to my friends and family.

It has taken a lot of time and even now, those bad memories come back to me on bad days and there are times where my anxiety does get the better of me, but then I remind myself that  the world is beautiful and I’m not ugly either or disgusting and I sure as anything will not be made a quitter.

There's this story that Buddah was said to tell in which he was happily walking into the city centre one day, and as he approached the entrance, an old man on a box, upon seeing him stood up and started to yell at him, cursing him and calling him pretentious and worthless. 

Buddah simply smiled despite the abuse and carried on to the market.

Every day of that week, this same thing would happen.

One day, curiosity took hold of the old man and he said to Buddah ''Every day you come here and every day I curse you but you still enter the city smiling despite knowing that I await you with my harsh tongue, and every day you leave with the same smile you arrived with. Why do you keep smiling, even now, while I scream at you?''

Buddah, smiling still, answered the old man ''If I were to bring you a gift tomorrow morning all wrapped up beautifully with a box and a bow, would you accept it?''

The old man scoffed and said ''absolutely not, I would take nothing from the likes of you.''

Buddah replied ''well, if I were to offer you such a gift and you refused it, to whom would the gift belong to?''

The Old man answered ''You, of course.''

And so Buddah said ''And the same goes with your anger. When I choose not to accept your gift of anger, does it not then remain your own?''

And the same applies to me now, their words could still haunt me and honestly, sometimes they do: but I know I’m not worthless and I know I’m not hideous and I know I do not have to accept their words as truth.

Believe me, I’m not for one single second saying ‘’ignore it and it’ll go away’’ or ‘’sticks and stones’’ because I have been there and like everyone else, I know full well words can dig and slash as good as any stick or stone. Instead, what I am saying is if you can’t see anything beautiful about yourself, because of what someone has told you or because of something you have told yourself:

 ‘You get a better mirror, look a little closer and stare a little longer. Because there’s something inside you that made you keep going despite everyone who told you to quit’.

Talk to someone today. Don’t give in to bullies and don’t give up on yourself.

Thanks to the wonderful Chloe for this opportunity to talk to you today and to you, for reading.

I hope you have a really wonderful day and if you ever fancy a chat over a virtual cup of tea, you can always find me here:

@Liz___zie

 Head-full-of-flowers.blogspot.co.uk

Interview on self-esteem with Katie from Funsize Beauty!

1. Hi Katie! Can you tell me a bit about yourself?



My name is Katie, I am 15 years old and I am Welsh. I am quite un-extraordinary, I am basically your typical introvert teenager.



2. What do you blog about?



I blog about anything and everything, from serious issues like the ones I'm talking about now, to beauty and fashion.

3. What inspires you in life?

My friends inspire me in life. I honestly don't know where I'd be without them.

4. What keeps you motivated?



Seeing my friends get upset when ever I get really down. I hate seeing them sad so I try to stay positive.



5. What is your proudest achievement in life or in the blogging world?

Recently I reached 3000+ views, and in the grand scheme of things it's tiny, but for a small blog like mine it means a lot.



6. That is something to be proud of! As a blogger, you have to have some confidence in what you are writing but in the “real world” it can be much more difficult! Can you tell me what your experience is with self-esteem?



Self-esteem has effected me in many ways, so bad as come last summer I wouldn't go outside. It made me feel so depressed that I didn't want to leave the house, go out with friends, and even family. In short terms - it sucked.



7. How has it changed your life?



It's made me realise that not everyone will love you for who you, and that's okay. I would much rather someone dislike me than back-stab me and make me feel insecure.


8. How are you coping with it?



It's not bad at the moment. It's worse in the summer because I don't like thinking people are making fun of me in my shorts. I have short legs so I feel awkward in shorts.



9. I think everyone has at least one insecurity about themselves but you've just got to think that you're not alone, everyone's feeling insecure about something! Do you feel like the media are doing enough to help people who suffer from low self-esteem?



Nope, in fact I think the media are making people with self-esteem issues worse. The photo shopping and society's image of perfect ruins a person's chance of them ever being happy with themselves- I know from personal experiences.


10. What are your top tips for anyone living with low self-esteem?



No-one cares what you look like, they are just trying to get from A to B as much as you are. If you feel good in shorts but think you'll be judged, who cares, you'll most probably not see those people again. You do you.

Thank you, Katie! I hope everyone finds your answers as interesting as I did and I'm sure each reader will be able to relate to your answers! 

If you'd like to check out any of Katie's links, you can find them below: 

Blog: http://funsizeblogger.blogspot.co.uk/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FunsizeBeautyTV

Email: katie230499@gmail.com

As always, if you'd like to take part in my campaign or if you'd just like to talk, please feel free to contact me! My links are below:

Twitter: @ChloesConcept

Tumblr Ask: chloesconcept.tumblr.com/ask

Email: ChloesConcept@gmail.com

Thank you for reading!

Chloe x

Get Over Your Insecurities, Learn To Love Them & Feel Confident!

I hope you're all having a lovely weekend and the weather is as it should be for this time of year (...in the UK anyway!)


Today's post is all about self-esteem and ways you can boost yours and learn to love the things you dislike about yourself!

You probably dislike at least one thing about yourself, whether its your looks; maybe your eye shape, nose, tummy...you get the picture, or maybe it's personality wise; maybe you're stubborn or short tempered. We all have something we're not satisfied with and I'm here to tell you that that is okay.

Imagine seeing yourself as pretty much perfect, you wouldn't change anything about yourself; looks or personality wise. I don't know why, but to me I'd still be unsatisfied as I'd always be looking for something to dislike or want to change!

I want you to think of those things you don't like about yourself and turn them into a positive...here's my examples:

Personality: 

Let's say you have OCD like I have. I moan about it as it always makes me late when I have to check everything at least 4-16 times (I know, weird but those are my favourite numbers and it's got worse through the years!) but at least once it's done, you don't leave the house thinking "Did I switch my hair dryer off?" or "Did I lock my front door?" Always try to turn whatever you don't like about yourself, into a positive!

Appearance:

Okay so let's say you have small eyes and you hate them because you think they look disproportional to the size of your face. Look through some photos of maybe celebrities and look at their eyes and I bet until you look closely you wouldn't have realised they had small eyes until you purposely went looking for them. That's the same for you, people probably don't even realise the size of your eyes as they don't specifically just focus on them and so what? You may not like them, but someone else may think they make you look unique and suit you!

Here's something you can do everyday to start loving the things you once disliked about yourself:

• Look in the mirror at the thing/s you dislike about yourself. Are you going to let these little things define who you are? Are you any less of a person just because you dislike your small eyes or your thin lips? 
• Think about this and feel lucky to look the way you do and feel lucky that you are in better health than some people, don't take things for granted!
• Look hard at what you don't like and think "is it really that bad?"
• Remind yourself that no one else looks exactly like you, so you are unique!
• Think about when you walk past someone and think "they have lovely hair" but to that person, they might be feeling very self-conscious about their hair.
• Pick one thing you like about yourself everyday, whether it be your appearance or it could even be something in your personality or maybe an act of kindness you did that day...Keep the positive vibe going!

I hope this little post helps you to build your confidence back up and feel amazing about yourself because you deserve to feel great!

If you would like to share your tips to feeling confident, let me know in the comments!

You can also get in touch with me on any of these links:

Twitter: @ChloesConcept
Email: ChloesConcept@gmail.com
Tumblr Ask: http://ChloesConcept.tumblr.com/ask

Thank you for reading!

Chloe x

Interview on bullying, body confidence, self-esteem, depression and anxiety with Louise.

Hi Louise! Thank you for taking part my project by letting me interview you! Tell me a bit about yourself?

I'm a total bunting addict who loves 90's pop punk and graphic novels. If you ever needed to find me, I'd be in a cinema, sorting through vintage stores, listening to my record collection or playing a game or two on the Playstation. I'd like to say I'm extroverted but I'm not - I love my small group of friends and I find I'm happier this way. What else... oh yeah, I blog.

What do you blog about?

I blog about adventures I go on with my friends and fiance, Green Ranger, recipes I try and absolutely love, wish-lists for clothes, beauty and stationery among other things, random opinion/inspiration pieces that have helped me through and blogs about topics I find generally quite interesting and hope my lovely readers will too!

What inspires you in life?

In all honesty, other people. With the influx of social media in everyone's lives, it's now so much easier to see the 'good' and the inspiring stuff that people are doing all over the world. It shows that the world doesn't have to be this dark, depressing place that the news always paints it as. I think, for me, Tumblr and Instagram showcase this really well with the communities on there - full-blown creative minded people with stories to tell. What's not to be inspired by. I guess other things that inspire me would be magazines like Company and Glamour, other wonderful bloggers like Becky Bedbug and paperbagblog, specific indie films like '500 Days of Summer' or 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty' and music, my favourites are Foos, Coldplay, Beatles and probably, Kings of Leon at the moment.

Social media definitely provides great opportunities to be influential and promote a positive community! What keeps you motivated?

When dealing with OCD, you tend to be fairly motivated, so I've not really struggled in this department, apart from when I was suffering with depression. It was a toughie as OCD meant I HAD to do all these things at the right time and all the time or I'd get major panic attacks but the other half of me just could not be bothered, I couldn't get out of bed, let alone do anything else! Luckily, I had special friends who saw me through and dragged me out when I needed it, talking about past issues with my psychologist definitely helped. Having someone who could say to me that what I was thinking, whether that be 'I'm fat - so why should anyone love me?' to 'What's the point?' was okay and talk it over rationally with me really helped.

I can definitely relate with OCD! It's a real time consumer as well! What is your proudest achievement either in life or the blogging world?

In the blogging world, it would have to be going to the #LDNBloggersTea in Kensington about a month ago. It was SO nerve-wracking, having to talk to brand new people, going alone and having to make conversation was so anxiety-inducing I nearly didn't make it. It took the kind words of my fiance to calm me down, tell me that I looked fine and talk me into going. I still wandered around Kensington Gardens to calm myself down before venturing anywhere near the venue! Non-blogging world, it'd have to be overcoming anorexia, I say overcoming but I still have the thoughts that accompany the disorder. I'm glad to say that I now eat three meals a day and it is under control from a physical sense. This took literally everything I had and I wouldn't be here without my family and close friends who supported me.

What is your experience with bullying, body confidence, self-esteem, depression and anxiety?

When I was at school, I was always bullied for being a bit of a porker. I was admittedly obese as a child but I didn't deserve the daily ridiculing from the other children. Nonetheless, I compartmentalised it and got on with my day-to-day, I became very good at putting on a front - 'the fat, bubbly girl'. But inside I was hurting and my self-esteem was practically non-existent.

I can't remember what it was exactly that changed, it may have been the death of my nan (she was the closest thing to me in my world) but I just gradually ate less and less to the point where I was banned from the gym and PE as they saw I had 'issues', and I was counting a grain of rice as dinner - nothing else, not even water for fear of calorie intake.

I eventually got hospitalised and decided I'd rather die before eat anything. I had lost all self-worth all without anyone really recognising bar the odd guy on the playground who'd then ridicule me for having an eating disorder. Being thin meant that people talked to me like an 'average' human girl in most instances, who could be attractive and interesting, without being thin I was nothing. It's fair to say that it gave me a degree of control over my own life when a lot was changing, it masked just how depressed and anxious I was about my life and my future.

How has it changed your life?

Suffering with the above changed my life immensely, I went from being an outwardly 'happy' child who didn't think on anything bar the next S Club 7 song to being the most cynical and downright depressing person you'd ever meet who could burst into tears at any opportunity. I'm glad to say that I have stabilised now, in my younger adult years, but I still walk down the street and wonder who and why is staring, I still 'hate' the way I look and question why it is that people would even want to talk to me. These are just a few things that are coped with on a day-to-day business. And that is exactly what it is, a day-to-day business. You can't plan for being sad one day and happy the next - it doesn't work like that.

How are you coping with it?

Distraction. Seeing a psychologist is out of the question, I have a full-time job to maintain and appointments don't exactly cater for this. So I use good, old distraction techniques. I tried the self-soothing exercises but these never helped me, that negative voice in my head always overcame it but listening to music, watching a film or playing a game I like takes me away into a world where I'm not always anxious and I'm not always putting myself down. It gives me a break from the monotony of negativity.

Do you feel like the media are doing enough to help people who suffer from bullying, body confidence, self-esteem, depression and anxiety?

I think compared to when I was a kid/teen, there has been a lot of awareness campaigns about the above, acknowledging that it is a problem BUT there simply isn't the actual support. Funding has been cut in all the wrong places and people like me are being affected everywhere I turn. The problem is that these problems are inherent within out society and until that changes then these issues will always be just that, issues. The media need to change the perception of these illnesses and I think they're only a small percentage of the way there. That is not to say that it won't improve.

What are your top tips for anyone living with bullying, body confidence, self-esteem, depression and anxiety?

As difficult as it may be, you need to be true to yourself and who you are and keep your head held high no matter what because there is always light at the end of that dark tunnel. Sod what anyone else has to say and ignore it, they're just insecure about themselves and projecting this onto you as a means of coping - you don't have to listen nor take it. Surround yourself with supportive people and things you love too, these will inevitably guide you through on the crappiest of days - they are your rocks.

Thank you so much, Louise! I found your answers so interesting and honest, which I'm sure people will appreciate and find inspiring! If you'd like to visit any of Lousie's links, here they are:

Blog - www.mylittletale.co.uk

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/colonelfunk?ref=hl&ref_type=bookmark

Twitter - https://twitter.com/crayolatron

Instagram - http://instagram.com/mylittletale

If you would like to be interviewed or get involved with my campaign/platform on any of the topics mentioned, please get in touch! My links are:

Twitter: @ChloesConcept
Email: ChloesConcept@gmail.com
Tumblr Ask: http://ChloesConcept.tumblr.com/ask

Thank you for reading!

Chloe x