There’s no question as to whether our society holds a standard of appearance, especially towards women. Although many companies are making an effort to change the way they promote their brand, the media can be a toxic place. With size zero being a common trait of many popular influencers and brand ambassadors, women of all shapes and sizes find themselves struggling to be seen in the media. The “For You” page on the application Tik Tok showcases videos with high amounts of likes and views, and is typically flooded with videos that most would place into the category of toxic body imagery. Recently though, there has been a recurring theme on “For You” pages that defies these harmful standards. Videos of girls of all shapes and sizes doing the same dances, wearing the same outfits, and telling their viewers to disregard the idea of a “perfect body type”. These women are paving the way for a new type of online trend: loving yourself.
You may know her infamous “squirrel move”, but what Sienna Gomez (@siennamae) is most known for on Tik Tok is changing what it means to have a “perfect body”. In the first video posted to her account, Gomez attacks a post made by influencer Olivia Ponton. Ponton posted a video of her clearly flat stomach with a caption insinuating that she was bloated. In response to this, Gomez recorded herself to the song “WAP” with the caption ‘“i just ate” – olivia ponton’. Gomez commented on her own video after it blew up saying “GUYS I took no offense to this at all!!! Obviously my stomach is not tiny, the point of the video was that it’s beautiful no matter what it looks like.”
The video sparked something in not only Gomez, but also in many of her viewers. Sitting now at over 16.5 million views and over 3 million likes, this post was the first of many on Sienna’s account that celebrates loving your body. Scrolling through her account you’ll find videos of her in crop tops and bikinis with a giant smile on her face, dancing to her favorite songs, even when she doesn’t fit into society’s opinion of a perfect body. In a video posted last week, Gomez appears to be giving herself a pep talk in the mirror, captioning the post, “Confidence is definitely not always easy but I’m always here if you guys need anything. I love you all.” Looking at the comments you can see what an influence something like this has had on young girls worldwide. Comments such as “you have no idea what an impact you’ve had on me” and “we need more people like her on Tik Tok”, show that the mentality of self love and confidence is something that social media has been lacking for a long time.
@victoriagarrick4 – 530.1K followers
Victoria Garrick is another Tik Tok starlet that is changing the lives of young women everywhere. Garrick is an athlete and played volleyball at the University of Southern California from 2015 to 2019. Although playing for this highly ranked team has brought Victoria many successes, the pressure of the “all eyes on her” mentality was undeniable. Garrick has struggled with anxiety and depression along with major body image issues. After her career came to an end at USC, Garrick took these struggles and began speaking to young people across the nation about her experiences and how she overcame these negative feelings. Recently, Victoria has used her online presence to help others by sharing various videos and photos on Youtube, Instagram, and Tik Tok. Not only does she share a variety of uplifting posts, she also started the #RealPost movement which discourages the editing of photos on social media, a habit that has become second nature.
One of Garricks most popular TIk Toks is a video posted in August 2020 where she recreates various photos of women in workout clothes. The video is captioned “These bodies, and my body, and YOUR body are all beautiful!”, reminding her viewers that workout clothes will look different on all different types of bodies, but all bodies are beautiful. Garrick’s effect on her audience can be seen through comments such as “I’m obsessed with this energy! Get it girl”, “This made me cry but in a good way”, and many others. With influencers like these, the stigma of having to look a certain way is being crushed, and women are starting to feel more comfortable in their own skin.
These outstanding women are just two examples out of many who are leading the new revolution of self love. A long and challenging road still lies ahead for the future of social media, but there is no doubt that these women are igniting the fire for a new wave of influencers. So whether you yourself struggle with body image and mental health, or you want to take to social media and help others to feel confident in their bodies, find a way to insert yourself into this monumental moment.