Week 6: Digital Citizenship and Health Education -Â Body modification on Visual Social Media
This week we reviewed the topic of âDigital Citizenship and Health Education, specifically body modification and Aesthetic Templates on Social Media. Body modification is a form of 'Aesthetic Templates' on Instagram and was a term I discovered in one of the readings. This particular reading exemplifies the idea that people interested in body modification are "shopping" for aesthetic templates. Aesthetic templates were essentially created by microcelebrities and are universally popular throughout social media, especially Instagram. You may know microcelebrities as social media influencers and/or models who promote products to their followers and fans for commercial gain.Â
What is visual social media?
Visual social media is a form of marketing and is the practice of using video, images and other visual content (like infographics) to help your messages stand out from the noise and clutter to more effectively reach your audience. It's a system that's worth adopting. ("What Is Visual Social Media Marketing (And How Does It Raise Engagement)? [INFOGRAPHIC]", 2021)
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines public health as âthe art and science of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts of society.â ("Public health services", n.d.)
How social media affects public health:Â
Social media has become a cost-effective way for the public health practice to inform audiences of health issues, enhance communication during public health emergencies or outbreaks, and respond to public reporting of a particular public health issue. ("Social Media in Public Health: Strategies to Distill, Package, and Disseminate Public Health Research", 2020).Â
Public Healthâs role in the pandemic:
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, public health organisations have made good use of social media to inform the public about the disease and help individuals globally control the spread of the virus. With technology always evolving, digital technologies such as IOS apps have become more advanced and influential in the past decade, but more so since the COVID-19 pandemic.Â
Since week one of this Digital Communities unit, I have concluded that Social Media is influential in many ways; from being a tool for political communication and engagement, to spreading awareness and promoting activism, evolving social movements in our society, and now in week 6, a device to inform the public about health.
I use social media every day, for fun and to socialise but also for educational purposes. Something I appreciate a lot about engaging with social media is interacting with news and information concerning public health and health in general. There are a few apps I use but the one that comes to mind that has been especially useful is the COVIDSafe app. This app was mainly helpful last year during the pandemic's peak and I don't use it anymore as there hasn't been any active covid cases where I live. "The COVIDSafe app is a tool that helps identify people exposed to coronavirus (COVID-19). This helps us support and protect you, your friends and family." Without the help of technology, finding close contacts relies on people: being able to recall everyone they have been in close contact with and knowing their contact details. ("COVIDSafe app", 2020)
https://www.health.gov.au/resources/apps-and-tools/covidsafe-app#
Effective Public Health Social Media Campaigns
According to current statistics, there are 2271 million people use Facebook, 326 million Twitter, 1000 million Instagram and 287 million use Snapchat. ("The World's Best Public Health Social Media Campaigns - Bang The Table", n.d.). As a result, public health campaigns increasingly compete for peopleâs attention and seek to influence their behaviour through these social media channels. But this requires continually adapting to trends.
#Loveyourcervix CampaignÂ
The objective for the #loveyourcervix campaign is to make young women who may feel embarrassed about the appearance of their vulva not embarrassed as a lot of young women avoid having a cervical screening for that reason. The campaign is intended to promote body positivity and remind women âthat smear takers have seen hundreds of vulvas!â Women that attend for cervical screening when they are first invited aged 25 are more likely to attend in the future, significantly reducing their risk of developing cervical cancer." (Public Health Wales).
Mental health related campaigns
Mental health has become a popular subject for social media campaigns. More and more people are willing and wanting to be open and share their personal experiences with the world on their social media pages. Individuals also want to get involved in tackling the stigma associated with talking about mental health.
#HereForYou Campaign (Instagram)Â
A one-minute campaign video featured three Instagram users talking about their past struggles with eating disorders, depression and suicidal thoughts.
Another campaign that promotes mental health is the Man Therapy campaign. It is based in Colorado, USA and is aimed at working-aged men (24-54 years old) who account for the largest number of suicide deaths in the U.S. These men are also the least likely to receive any kind of support. They don't talk about it with their friends. They don't share with their family. And they sure as heck don't seek professional treatment. They are the victims of problematic thinking that says mental health disorders are unmanly signs of weakness. ("Man Therapy | Men's Mental Health Resources", n.d.).Â
The campaign features a fictional character named Rich Mahogany, who provides âmanly mental health tipsâ in humorous videos. The Men Therapy campaign was also created to counter the myth that strong men donât need to reach out for help.
Body modification on Visual Social Media
Aesthetic templates and Aesthetic LabourÂ
âAesthetic templatesâ refer to: poses, accessories, props or body work.Â
Aesthetic templates are linked to digital influencer brands that often promote unhealthy body image ideals.Â
In workplace settings, workers enact aesthetic labour by embodying attributes that will resonate with customers for commercial benefit (Dean, 2005; Witz, Warhurst & Nickson, 2003)
Examples of Aesthetic Labour include:Â
- Smiling with sincerityÂ
- Dressing in a suit and tieÂ
- Using particular body language and hand gesturesÂ
As you can see in the image below of this model, she is not only using body language and hand gestures to demonstrate bodywork and aesthetic labour, but sheâs also smiling with sincerity as she promotes a Bondi Boost product.Â
These images of these Instagram influencers/models also depict bodywork through a range of behaviours that alter their physical appearance; either online, through editing or physically in the offline world. Bodywork is evident in these influencer's photos as these women have all used body language and angles to make their bodies appear a certain way in which helps them gain attention from their viewers.
Pornification emphasises heteronormative standards of beauty and sexuality.
It has become normalised within western societies to display sexuality that reflects the aesthetics of commercial pornography (Tyler & Quek, 2016; Lynch, 2012; Drenten & Gurrieri, 2019)
Pornification is about portraying a heteronormative display of sexuality or 'porn chic' aesthetic oriented towards a male audience (Drenten & Gurrieri, 2019)
For social media users, selfies are often the result of work understood as sexualised labour (Drenten & Gurrieri, 2019)Â
Imagery like these is only a few examples of what my Instagram feed is flooded with. Highly sexualised images like these are shaping 'influence' on social media platforms, especially on Instagram. The main reason that influencers are posting content like this, posed and with barely any clothes on is because these kinds of images help them gain the most amount of attention and following. The body plays a pivotal role in influencers' posts, and one of the easiest ways for women to gain attention on social media is through a highly sexualised aesthetic, which is increasingly pornified. These women tend to conform to stringent standards of attractiveness and femininity for attention gain.
Here is an example of an influencer, Tammy Hembrow who uses the âaesthetic templateâ to promote this "aminos & energy" product to her followers for commercial benefit. This pornified image is purely to grab her viewer's attention for a brand deal.Â
As you can see in the image above of Tammy Hembrow, she is posing in a way that highlight her lower body through body language, to accentuate her curves.Â
Aesthetic Templates - Masculinity:Â
Despite all this focus on women being pornified, pornification is also relevant to men but the reasons differ...Â
Whilst women tend to focus on accentuating their curves through body language, men are also exposed for provocative poses, but this is mainly enacted by gay men. The underlying difference is that men arenât nearly as popular as women when it comes to gaining attention on social media for their pornified poses.Â
Implications for Public Health:Â
Some public health campaigns promote aesthetic templates to promote body image ideals. This advertisement by Protein World presents a female model in her bikini, accompanying writing that states, âAre you beach body ready?â The ad implies that women have to have that body type, a body that society depicts as "perfect", then you're not "beach ready". This ad is not only offensive and promotes body-shaming, but itâs also encouraging poor self-esteem and body image, especially for younger women who are most likely already feeling too insecure to go to the beach.
The original â Protein Worldâs body-shaming advia aol.com
This ad is another dangerous example that can have serious effects on the self-esteem of women and girls worldwide. Â
Victoriaâs Secret: âPerfectâ via theodysseyonline.com
These advertisements and public âhealth campaignsâ are also linked to Body Dysmorphia (BDD) and Identity Dissonance due to individuals comparing themselves to âthe perfect bodyâ online, leading them to feel âdistressed about a particular body part to the point where it interferes with daily life (Phillips, 2009).Â
Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)
Body dysmorphic disorder is a mental health disorder in which you can't stop thinking about one or more perceived defects or flaws in your appearance â a flaw that appears minor or can't be seen by others. ("Body dysmorphic disorder - Symptoms and causes", n.d.)
Suicidal thoughts and behavior are common with body dysmorphic disorder. If you think you may hurt yourself or attempt suicide, get help right away:
Call a suicide hotline number - Lifeline: 13 11 14
Call your mental health professional.
Seek help from your primary care provider.
Reach out to a close friend or loved one.
Contact a minister, spiritual leader or someone else in your faith community.
Public health services. Retrieved 23 May 2021, from https://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/Health-systems/public-health-services/public-health-services
COVIDSafe app. (2020). Retrieved 23 May 2021, from https://www.health.gov.au/resources/apps-and-tools/covidsafe-app
The World's Best Public Health Social Media Campaigns - Bang The Table. Retrieved 23 May 2021, from https://www.bangthetable.com/blog/public-health-social-media-campaigns/
Retrieved 23 May 2021, from https://twitter.com/PublicHealthW/status/1105362789067968513
Man Therapy | Men's Mental Health Resources. Retrieved 23 May 2021, from https://mantherapy.org/
#HereForYou. (2021). [Image]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5h-s9xUPvGA
Social Media in Public Health: Strategies to Distill, Package, and Disseminate Public Health Research. (2020). Retrieved 23 May 2021, from https://journals.lww.com/jphmp/Fulltext/2020/09000/Social_Media_in_Public_Health__Strategies_to.14.aspx
How highly sexualised imagery is shaping âinfluenceâ on Instagram - and harassment is rife. Retrieved 24 May 2021, from https://mumbrella.com.au/how-highly-sexualised-imagery-is-shaping-influence-on-instagram-and-harassment-is-rife-578396
Five ads that took body-shaming to a whole new level. (2016). Retrieved 24 May 2021, from https://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/31606/1/the-five-worst-examples-of-body-shaming-ads
Body dysmorphic disorder - Symptoms and causes. Retrieved 24 May 2021, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/body-dysmorphic-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20353938#:~:text=Body%20dysmorphic%20disorder%20is%20a,may%20avoid%20many%20social%20situations.
What Is Visual Social Media Marketing (And How Does It Raise Engagement)? [INFOGRAPHIC]. Adweek.com. (2021). Retrieved 27 May 2021, from https://www.adweek.com/performance-marketing/visual-social-marketing/#:~:text=Visual%20social%20media%20marketing%20is,a%20system%20that's%20worth%20adopting.
