While on the one hand, people from different backgrounds and ethnicities are taking to the Internet to spread the message of accepting one’s body and loving oneself, it seems like all of those efforts are being rubbished, just by a couple of images that are setting the ‘trend’ for an ideal body image.
After a Singaporean fashion blogger with a few extra pounds was shamed for pictures of her in a bikini last month, many spoke up in her support. In spite of a good amount of resistance from people who condemn the mad hype over such things as thigh gaps and thigh brows, the Internet has its ways of being innovatively destructive.
The panty challenge was one that asked people to brandish their used, but super-clean underwear, to promote a perceived need to combat vaginal discharge and thereby portraying it as ‘unnatural’. Then came the bellybutton challenge that made people twist their bodies, not for yoga, but to pose for the camera and show off their extremely thin waist-line. These challenges got their share of brunt too, but the magnitude of those who participated in such challenges is disturbingly large.
Recently, the ‘ab crack’ has become the new fad. It is a vertical dent outlining the ab muscles which is a result of extreme workouts.
Here, a few women from the city and across the country, talk about the effect of these trends and how we can counter them.
Anuradha Menon a.k.a Lolla Kutty
Honestly, I don’t take these surveys seriously. Every month, Cosmopolitan comes up with something called ‘101 ways to pleasure your man!’ Then you hear how a model got her ribs removed, as she wanted a slim waist. It’s becoming an addiction to have a particular kind of a body. Teenagers should understand that genes also play an important role. Somewhere down the line it also promotes eating disorders like Anorexia and Bulimia. Everything has a counter-effect.
Priyanka Chigurupati
Proving yourself on social media has become more relevant than actually living your life. Following celebrities doesn’t help; women get pressurised to alter themselves. Modifying yourself to a level that may end up hurting yourself is just not worth it. I think this really goes back to self acceptance and being confident about yourself. So what if you don’t have an ab crack from working out? Contouring can do the trick instead!
Vishala Reddy
I don’t encourage these challenges. Everyone has a different body type and it is impossible to achieve someone else’s body. These things may influence people to take extreme measures. We should strive for physical inclusion through media, we must make people with all kinds of body types feel included in the society. These challenges don’t do that. If this becomes the norm, people may get bullied and it may lead to depression and other complications. Also, extreme insecurities may force people into eating disorders, these viral trends are only making matters worse.
Deborah Doris fell
I think these trends are rather silly and can create body issues among young girls. Coming from the modelling industry, I know that people talk about such things. If you gain weight you’re too fat, if you lose weight you’re too thin, there is always something or the other. No matter how you look, acceptance and love for your body, is what we ultimately need.
Madhu Shalini, actress
The Internet has a lot of power and these trends reach many people. So when you have the ability to influence so many people, it must be for a greater cause. For example, the ice bucket challenge was to spread awareness. Here, just because you can reach your bellybutton does not mean that you have a smart or a sexy body. What matters is if one is healthy and fit, or not.
