WEEK 7
✨ The Dark Side of Aesthetic Templates: How Social Media Shapes (and Shatters)
Body Image ✨
Hey y’all, let’s talk about something heavy but super relevant: the way Instagram aesthetics are low-key messing with our mental health. Ever noticed how every influencer’s feed looks eerily similar? 💄💪 That’s aesthetic templates at work — curated poses, edited bodies, and a whole lotta heteronormative beauty standards.
Microcelebrity Culture 101:
Influencers aren’t just posting pics; they’re branding themselves like products. 📦 Think: "visibility labor" (aka unpaid work to stay relevant) and "aesthetic labor" (molding your body to fit trends).
Want clout? Follow the script: women = pornified "porn chic" (accentuated curves, plumped lips), men = "muted masculinity" (athleticism, strong jaws). 🏋️♂️💋 But guess who gets erased? LGBTQ+ folks, especially when algorithms prioritize "palatable" heteronormative content. 🏳️🌈🚫
Pornification Nation: Social media’s obsession with sexualized selfies isn’t just ~empowering~ — it’s reinforcing commercial porn aesthetics. Women are pressured to perform hypersexualized femininity, while gay men mimicking those poses get sidelined. The result? Marginalized creators face algorithmic invisibility just for existing. 😤Body Image Crisis Alert: Trying to morph your IRL self into an Instagram filter? That identity dissonance (the gap between online persona and reality) is linked to Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). 😰 The more we scroll, the more we internalize unattainable ideals — leading to anxiety, surgeries, and endless dissatisfaction.
What Can We Do?
Demand regulation of influencer-led "health" campaigns pushing harmful ideals.
Amplify marginalized voices + call out algorithmic bias.
Remember: Your worth isn’t defined by likes or a jawline. 💖
Drop your thoughts below — have you felt pressured to fit these templates? Let’s unpack this together. 💬
#AestheticLabour #PornificationIsNotProgress #BDDAwareness #AlgorithmicInvisibility #BreakTheTemplate
References
Bishop, S. (2021). Influencer management tools: Algorithmic cultures, brand safety, and bias. Social Media + Society, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051211003066
Carrotte, E. R., Prichard, I., & Lim, M. S. C. (2017). ‘Fitspiration’ on social media: A content analysis of gendered images. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 19(3).
Dorfman, R. G., Vaca, E. E., Mahmood, E., Fine, N. A., & Schierle, C. (2018). Plastic surgery-related hashtag utilization on Instagram: Implications for education and marketing. Aesthetic Surgery Journal, 38(3), 332–338.
Duffy, B. E., & Meisner, C. (2022). Platform governance at the margins: Social media creators’ experiences with algorithmic (in)visibility. Media, Culture & Society. https://doi.org/10.1177/01634437221111923
Marwick, A. E. (2013). Status update: Celebrity, publicity, and branding in the social media age. Yale University Press.
Phillips, K. A. (2009). Understanding body dysmorphic disorder: An essential guide. Oxford University Press.
Senft, T. M. (2012). Microcelebrity and the branded self. In J. Hartley, J. Burgess, & A. Bruns (Eds.), A companion to new media dynamics (pp. 346–354). Blackwell.
Tyler, M., & Quek, K. (2016). Conceptualizing pornographication. Sexualization, Media, & Society, 2(2), 1–14.