Kristine Gil - 18

How heavily do opinions from those around you, affect the way you think?
I think that opinions can definitely influence you by giving you more perspectives but ultimately, it’s really up to yourself the way you want to think. 


What group of people are mostly affected by self perception due to social media?
Self perception and self esteem due to social media mostly affects teenagers, especially teenage girls but also teenage boys. We basically control social media and we are on it quite a lot, so it’s inevitable to have a concern over what others think of you.


Where does your conception of body image come from?
My conception of body image largely stems from what I see online and in the media. The general public favors girls with small waists and bigger breasts and butts. So it was easy to feel super insecure, especially when you’re still young and your body isn’t even done developing. 




In what ways did your mother’s self perception affect your own?
My mother grew up thinking that you had to make yourself look pretty for other people. So growing up, I did that and I would dress a certain way for others to think i’m well dressed and pretty. But over time, i threw that away and started dressing for myself.


To what extent does the social media standard affect your own opinion on an ideal body image?
Growing up, it had a great effect on my own opinion on an ideal body image. I was brainwashed to think that thick in the wrong places was unattractive and girls had to look a certain way to be attractive. But being older and seeing beyond the social media standard, it doesn’t affect my opinion at all anymore.


At which age did you begin to pay attention to your body changes?
I started to pay attention to my body changes at the start of the 8th grade because I got my period and my body started to develop like I went from A-cup breasts to double D’s lol. Those were hard to ignore but they also brought a lot of attention from boys and men so I started to feel uncomfortable.


In your opinion, do most girls have a negative or positive body image?
I think most girls have a negative body image about themselves but I see that there's been more and more self confidence and positive body image propaganda that tries to shape girls into having a better self esteem. 



What can be done to promote positive body image?
I think that there should be a lot more representation of different body types in the media, specifically in fashion and beauty. We really only see one type of body and one race of model. If girls see themselves in the media, they won’t feel like they are weird or their body is not normal. 




How often do you find yourself on social media?
I find myself on social media anytime I can be on my phone, so quite a lot.


Have you tried ways to improve your own body image? Was is effective? If so, were you satisfied with the results?

I don’t think there’s any shame in trying to improve your body image. If you want to lose weight, go ahead. It’s always nice to try and look better. I’ve tried to lose weight and tone my body before. Of course I did it the healthy way and improved my diet and started to work out. I lost some weight and working out also just boosts your serotonin and the happy chemicals in your brain. I was satisfied because I felt confident in my own body and I also had a good self esteem.