I have a problem with Instagram. I have a problem with the way it encourages us to stop people with a single image. I have a problem with the fact that there are accounts that consist of the same photograph of a woman in high waisted booty shorts over and over again and have over a bajillion followers while there are accounts that are thick with life-changing content that I never get to see.
When opening up my Instagram insights its no surprise to me that all of my bikini or underwear photos have the most engagement, even if I didn’t have much to say in my caption. It just makes me uneasy because I am constantly being pushed to post content that contributes to what I am currently trying to fight, Body Obsession. Post more pictures of yourself showing your body and get more engagement. This feeds the very lie I am fighting against. I AM NOT JUST A BODY AND I AM NOT JUST WHAT I LOOK LIKE!
I know that it is important for young girls and women to see diverse bodies and that some have made it their mission to fill instagram and social media with this representation, I have been there too. But I honestly believe that this still has us chained to the same issue, we are just changing its jean size.
Body positivity has changed so much for so many of us, yet it still has the ability to go into the red and also promote Body Obsession. It is understandable that these accounts have chosen a single message to share and that there may be women out there who really need to hear it but I just want you to remember that you and your life are multifaceted.
I started out my journey focusing on being Body Postive and I showed my rolls, my curves, and my dimples much to the delight of every young girl and woman, and I will certainly continue to do this from time to time because it is a part of who I am, but it is just that, a single part, not the entirety of who I am and my discovery of my feminine power has shown me this so beautifully.
My self-worth & body image is not defined only by my appearance and how closely it resembles the cultural ideals but rather by who I am as a person. The way my mind works, my view on this life, my knowledge, my creativity, my dreams, my fears make me Claire. These are things that define me and make me feel worthy. As Lindsay Kate puts it “Rather than working to make sure more women’s bodies are viewed as valuable, we should be focused on making sure WOMEN are valued, more than just bodies to view.”
So I’ve got you, I’m here to show you that you can also wear shorts with cellulite like mine, that you can rock a bikini with a body like mine, but I am also here to show you so much more. I am here to show you just how diverse and valuable you are as a woman and how much potential you have in this life. I’m here to get you fired up for your life and what you are capable of instead of just getting you to leave the house in shorts, because if you could only see what you were made of, you wouldn’t put all of your worth on a few meters of denim.
