Body image push 'turns selfies on their head'
South Australians are being urged to indulge in International No Diet Day today by getting behind a new campaign aimed at dispelling unrealistic body image expectations.
Campaign organisers say modern technology has made it even easier to promote unrealistic body types.
A group of teenagers has been recruited to bombard social media with positive messages as the state government throws its support behind the push, with Status of Women Minister Gail Gago saying unrealistic expectations eroded confidence and self esteem.
“Body image is consistently identified as one of the top three concerns for young Australians aged between 11 and 24 and a recent Mission Australia Youth Survey found almost half of South Australia’s female youth found body image a major concern,” Ms Gago said.
With the rise of social media, young people are under more pressure to look like celebrities and models than ever before, with many now turning to photo-editing apps to enhance their appearance.
Campaign organisers now want to turn the selfie trend on its head by asking teens to celebrate more than just their outward appearance.
For the next six weeks they are asking South Australians to post “inner selfies” showcasing the hobbies and objects that shape who they are on the inside.
The images should be posted to social media under the hashtags #BodyImageSA and #InnerSelfie. They could then be featured on the Office of Women website.
The state government is also asking high schoolers to create videos aimed at educating primary school students.
Student Lucy Fenwick Elliott is taking part in the program.
“I wanted to take my friends outside and just ask them blunt questions, she said.
“It’ll be creative, it’ll be fun and I would love it to catch on.”
News break - May 6
