Summer is swiftly approaching, and I’m sure we are all no strangers to seeing those videos swarming our "For You Pages" depicting the "perfect bikini bodies," feeding us false ideas of what we should look like — when the reality is… there is no perfect bikini body!

Social Media's Impact on Body Image

As teenagers, most of our lives unfortunately revolve around social media. Take a moment to think about how many hours you spend doom-scrolling on TikTok while you tell your parents you’re studying. A lot.

No shame! But the truth of the matter is, when your parents tell you "it’s that phone," it really is — because we are constantly being exposed to pictures and videos of people we don't even know, who are telling us we aren't good enough and we aren't worthy until we fit into these unrealistic beauty standards. And this is taking a serious toll on your mental health, whether you realise it or not.

Take the Quiz: What Candle Scent Matches Your Overall Aesthetic?

Halloween is just around the corner. It's time to light that candle. Take this quiz and find out what candle scent suits you best.

Body Dysmorphia

I'm sure you have heard of the term body dysmorphia — this is a mental health condition where a person becomes obsessed with their appearance, focusing primarily on their "flaws." As we see these videos about "bikini bodies," we start picking ourselves apart, and this is increasingly common in teenagers. A recent study in 2023 by the Mental Health Foundation found that a groundbreaking 35 percent of teenagers in the UK have felt ashamed of their appearance in summer because of social media.

Image Credit: Katya Wolf from Pexels

The Truth of Social Media

What we often don't realise is, the videos you see on social media are when people look their "best" — they’re posting photos with the best lighting, angles, and heavy editing. So it’s easy to compare yourself with them, but you need to remember: in real life, there are no filters. And that’s okay, because we don't need filters.

No two people are the same, and that is what makes us unique. You do not need a thigh gap to wear a bikini. You don't need to shave every inch of your body. And you don't need to go on a huge diet to get rid of your belly fat.

Consequences of Comparison

We need to remember that we are only teenagers — our bodies are changing, and we need nutrition. You can actually cause a lot of damage to your physical health through excessive exercise or dieting as you attempt to fit into the impossible mold of what the "perfect bikini body" is. You can get irregular periods, feel weak and tired, and in serious cases, you could be hospitalised.

So think about it — is it really worth all the pain and suffering? No.

I know how hard it is when you see other people looking perfect in their bikinis. But you have to remember: just because somebody looks a certain way doesn’t mean they are happy. Even if they are smiling and looking like they’re having the time of their life, you don’t know what’s going on behind closed doors.

How you look physically doesn’t change your circumstances. It doesn’t change who you are as a person, and we need to remember this so we can stop trying to reach something impossible.

Pressure

I would also like to talk about the pressure placed on different groups of people. As a woman, I am always expected to have slim legs, an hourglass body, and long, smooth hair that falls perfectly, no matter how strong the wind blows. Men also have pressure on them to have big muscles and a fresh, smooth face — because apparently nobody likes a messy beard. People are putting so much focus on the external side of beauty that we have fully disregarded the important things, like who we are as people.

Image Credit: Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

Shifting Your Mindset

Now I’m sure you’re wondering, what can I do to feel better?

Step one: Refresh what you consume. What I mean by this is, if you’re following creators who are bringing you down or you find yourself comparing yourself to them, unfollow. If you’re comparing yourself to someone in a TV show or movie, then put on something else.

Don’t give yourself the chance to compare. Remove the comparisons. Follow people who make you feel worthy and good about yourself.

Step two: Treat yourself with love. Every morning when you wake up, you should look at yourself in the mirror, and instead of doing your normal ritual of saying all the things you hate about yourself that ruin your appearance, take a moment to think about the things you love about yourself. And if there’s something you don’t love, teach yourself to love it. For me, I am insecure about my legs, so I say, "Well, they give me strength to walk." You should think about how lucky you are to have your body and all the wonderful things it does for you, which you would normally ignore or brush off.

Step three: Educate yourself. As I touched on earlier, the photos you see online aren't a representation of real life. In real life, we don’t have tools to change how we look, so you can’t expect to look like the girl you see in the pictures.

We need to stop focusing on how we look and remember the important thing is how we feel. You are not made to fit into a bikini — the bikini is made to fit you. If you are wearing a size bigger than last year, then good for you!

That doesn’t mean anything bad. It just means you’ve grown. You can’t be afraid of growing when growing is how we live.

You don’t need to earn validation. You are beautiful just the way you are. And don’t ever let anyone tell you any different. The only bikini body you need is the one you have right now.