Danielle Spencer - 21

How heavily do opinions from those around you, affect the way you think?


My family’s opinion matters to me the most. I’m not easily influenced but if my family has something to say about anything that involves me, I’ll always listen.


What group of people are mostly affected by self perception due to social media?


I’d say teenage girls the most. I graduated highschool and all of that, so I’m not surrounded by that anymore, but when you’re in grade school its beyond easy to get caught up in negative self perceptions because everyone wants to be somebody else. Nobody is ever fulfilled with themselves, it became normal in school to talk about other people and how they look and talk down on them or compare. It’s really toxic. 


Where does your conception of body image come from?


How my mom sees herself. She’s my biggest inspiration so my self perception rooted from the way she saw herself. 


In what ways did your mother’s self perception affect your own?


A lot actually, my mom takes really good care of her body and as I grew up I was the same way. She also always told me when I was younger that nobody can be me, and I can’t be anybody else, so enjoy life the way I want to. We’ll go to gyms together, go out to eat, we’ve done diets together. She’s never harsh on herself or me, and so it made it easy for me to be satisfied with myself.


To what extent does the social media standard affect your own opinion on an ideal body image?


Everyone is skinny. I mean literally everyone has the same body. We praise people who starve themselves to be that skinny. I actually read a girl’s instagram post one time and she explained how her diet is strict and one thing that it consists of is not eating for nearly a day. It has affected my opinion because the idea that you have to have bigger boobs, smaller waist and skinny legs, is the only way you’ll be accepted or paid attention to. It’s sick.


At which age did you begin to pay attention to your body changes?


When I was 15. I started growing later than most of my other friends. But I noticed right away, and not gonna lie that’s when the guy’s started paying attention. 


In your opinion, do most girls have a negative or positive body image?


Negative for sure. I was surrounded by this in high school, even starting early on in middle school. I used to get teased, it’s heartbreaking. I always had my mom to remind me that if it isn’t yours, then don’t worry about it. I see stories of people who commit suicide, overdose on pills, fast for days, just to reach a goal of a body that isn’t healthy. I wish this standard would disappear.


What can be done to promote positive body image?



Something effective would be portraying different body types the same way we portray skinny ones. If the next generation grows up to understand and be praised for how they are, it’d make a difference. 


How often do you find yourself on social media?

Every day, in my free time or when I'm bored.