A report from World Vision Romania draws attention to how exposure to toxic content on social media is increasingly affecting girls and young women. Due to insecurities about their bodies, six out of ten teenage girls have tried extreme or unhealthy diets at least once in their lives so as to lose or gain weight.

Social media places a strong emphasis on physical appearance, and the pressure to conform to a certain standard is even more intense among children and teenagers, the authors of the report say.

The increased importance placed on appearance also leads to isolation. More than half (52%) of the girls surveyed have refused to participate in certain social activities because they felt "insecure about their physical appearance."

“In a society dominated by appearances, filters, and unrealistic ideals, teenage girls are feeling more and more pressure to conform to artificially imposed standards,” the report notes. “Day by day, women of all ages face online messages that can undermine their self-confidence, from derogatory comments and unrealistic beauty standards to opinions on how they should behave or live,” it adds.

To support young women, World Vision Romania organized a live webinar on “Toxic Content About Women on Social Media,” in partnership with Girl Up Romania and In a Relationship. The webinar was led by Silvia Ciubotaru, psychotherapist and coordinator of the In a Relationship platform, along with Anne-Marie Ionescu, a girls’ rights activist with Girl Up Romania.

The two guests discussed the impact of social media and how to navigate encountering harmful stereotypes regarding women, the pressure of beauty standards, and the normalization of abuse and victim-blaming.

“The online world is a vast space, full of opportunities but also traps. In this sea of content generated every second, it is becoming increasingly difficult for young people to distinguish between what is healthy and what is harmful. It is essential to create spaces for authentic dialogue where we can discuss prejudices, discrimination, and social pressures,” stated Silvia Ciubotaru, psychotherapist.

radu@romania-insider.com

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