The Internet Is More Image-Focused Than Ever
Just a few years ago, the body-positivity movement was going strong. What happened?
The Atlantic staff writer Sophie Gilbert joins hosts Natalie Brennan and Julie Beck for an episode of How to Touch Grass to discuss the current state of body image on the internet. In the early 2000s, images of women's bodies were prominently featured in magazines at checkout aisles, but nowadays, those images have shifted to social media and the internet at large.
While magazines promoted an ideal body, the internet now features a resurgence of a skinny ideal, alongside calls for self-love and health at any size. The rapid uptake of GLP-1s and the influence of looksmaxxers and influencers on weight loss and cosmetic procedures have intensified the pressure on body image. The hosts and Gilbert reflect on how the culture of the internet has become even more image-focused in recent years, making it harder to hear messages of self-love and health at any size amid the "roar" of looksmaxxers and influencers promoting weight loss and cosmetic procedures.
Written by urgent.news from The Atlantic's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
