Media is an addictive source that the vast majority of the population engages in. Trends are created that prompt others to appear a certain way and perform certain acts. One venturing away from these trends would be considered out of touch. With that, is media producing toxicity into society? Is media pushing individuals to engage in behaviors against their principles? Is media the precipice of poor body image?

A Stockton dietician, Abigail Broschard, voices her opinion: “I think that the beauty of having a human body is how endless the possibilities are when it comes to your shape, size, genetics, and background. Individuality is beautiful.” Poor body image can be linked to the 70s and 80s with the trend of weightlifting and bodybuilding becoming mainstream. People were using an immense sum of steroids and supplements to get a physique that was previously out of reach. “For the common person, seeing that and comparing themselves to that, it is a constant idea that there is an extremely unrealistic expectation,” weighs Broschard. Other trends followed including ‘heroin chic’ in the 90s as well as being stick-thin in the 00s. The 10s and 20s followed a trend to be thick in particular areas, but thin in others. Yet, all of these standards are unrealistic to the human body, creating a stigma of dysmorphia.

“Diet culture, since we were young, was something so normalized and subconscious. Looking at all of these advertisements on TV of different diet programs like Atkins or Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig, or even health magazines with their false headlines — it’s been something that has just been so ingrained with our culture. When we were young, we didn’t realize that there was something wrong with that,” conveyed Broschard. “There’s been so many different diet programs that have been proposed and sold to people, but they’re introducing all of these different lifestyle changes that are not sustainable — things that people don’t actually enjoy doing day to day. So it causes burnout and people to feel a personal sense of failure, whereas really, it’s the diet failing them.”

The beauty industry thrives on people feeling insecure because that’s how they make an income. Selling one ideal body image as a trend reference is where the market validates itself-having a certain body type on a pedestal. Media solicits misleading information, unwarranted advice, as well as information and products that are not backed by research.

While media is known for its promotion of toxicity, hopeful change has sparked. “It’s so refreshing seeing so much more positivity and body neutrality being discussed and normalized. There’s a lot more representation for different body types. I think one thing that I loved out of our recent Olympics was the representation of how all of these top athletes in our world come in so many different shapes and sizes, and there’s so much advocacy,” said Broschard. “I think this newfound positivity comes from a new wave of feminism. It comes from the idea that we are a lot more well connected online than we ever used to be. There’s a lot more shared experiences and the ability to be able to talk about our experiences with one another and understand we’re not alone in this.”

It is up to each person to invest themselves in media that makes them feel good spiritually and emotionally. Honoring oneself and their true passions are vital because that is what makes someone individualistic. “It is better to be an interesting, vibrant, and genuine person, rather than falling in line with any trend that’s being pushed on us right now,” stated Broschard. “We’re finally having conversations talking about being inclusive in so many different aspects of what it means to be human. It’s such a liberating feeling to finally feel like we’re stepping into something where there is a lot more acceptance, open mindedness, and real thoughtfulness.”