Gaining body confidence is a simple task for today’s teenagers. However, body confidence comes from within. So, stay positive, accept yourself and feel good to build a better body image.
Parents’ concerns were sparked by a recent survey on kids’ use of social media. A third of teen females, 32 percent, reported that they “felt awful and unhappy about their bodies,” and social media use just made this feeling worse.
This disturbs parents who are part of a generation exposed to the negative aspects of social media like cyberbullying and body shaming, and parents need to change the narrative.
How to Build Body Confidence
Here are three strategies to promote body confidence, not just in young people but also in ourselves.
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Use the right words:
Instead of saying things out loud like “I need to lose X kgs”, tweak it today to “I need to be cautious so I can stay healthy.” When you pass judgement on others, what they hear is that it is okay to look at people only based on their looks and bodies. It is important that they learn sooner than later that it is not okay to shame people based on their appearance.
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Define your core focus:
Shift the topic of body confidence to “how often do you fall sick” rather than how thin or fat one is. Body confidence is driven by what your body can do in a smooth fashion on a regular basis, rather than a late wake-up-call for drastic measures. Impress upon your kids that being healthy trumps everything else.
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Focus on being ‘you’:
There are so many out there who tell us what’s wrong with us — we need to teach our kids to make peace with themselves and to accept and love themselves for who they are. The optimistic vibes, the self-love and the positive affirmations are what our kids need to battle body shaming and bullying.
Source: IANS
