Body Acceptance Under Threat: Potential Shift in Emphasis on Individual Body Image Appreciation
Revamped Article:
Let's dive into the disturbing trend #SkinnyTok on TikTok, where ultra-slim bodies and questionable dieting tips reign supreme, casting a gloomy shadow over the body positivity movement. Young women, fueled by a "Skinny Girl Mindset," are spilling their thin-fueled secrets,how to attain an alarmingly thin figure through dieting and exercise regimes.
These videos push the notion that thinking like a slim woman is the key to unlocking the ideal body. Statements such as "If you want to be a skinny girl, think like a skinny girl" or "Why are you rewarding yourself with a snack, you're not a dog?" are echoed across these platforms. At the heart of it all, the glamorization of thinness persists.
This trend brings to mind the unhealthy obsession with thinness that dominated the early 2000s and phrases like those spoken by supermodel Kate Moss: "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." It seems the emaciated bodies, dark eye circles, and stringy hair of the "Heroin Chic" look of the 90s are making a comeback.
The Dawn of a New (Unhealthy) Era?
The embrace of body positivity at the beginning of the 2010s, a boon encouraged by the rise of social media platforms, appears to be transforming into a fleeting trend rather than a lasting shift in societal body ideals. Hashtags like #effyourbeautystandards (fuck your beauty standards) have taken a back seat to ones like #skinny, #modelbody, and more elusive ones such as #healthyhabits or #healthytips. The message remains consistent: young women, often even girls, flaunting their slender physiques on social media.
The line between benign weight loss advice and potentially harmful content becomes blurred, especially in the context of Liv Schmidt, arguably the most popular figure in the #SkinnyTok bubble. The 23-year-old New York influencer's content revolves almost exclusively around the topic of being and staying thin. Her Instagram profile features before-and-after comparisons and posts of gratitude from followers who have shed pounds.
TikTok not only a Banned Influencer, but also Instagram
Schmidt's posts reach many, not least through her group "The Skinni Society," where members pay $20 a month for exclusive content such as recipes, workout videos, and food diaries. Circle chats among members reveal discussions of diets' side effects - hair loss or dizziness.
Schmidt's account was suspended on TikTok in September 2021, with 670,000 followers. Last week, Instagram followed suit, imposing restrictions on her account due to controversial chat groups. Her profile on Elite Model Management, which represents supermodels like Adriana Lima and Kendall Jenner, has also mysteriously disappeared since last week. It's estimated that Schmidt was collecting up to $130,000 a month from her Skinni Society.
Online Reactions - Scorn and Alarm
The contents surrounding #SkinnyTok evoke mixed reactions online. Many cringe at the contents, while critics express concern about the potential impact on young women's eating habits. Oliver Zöllner, professor at the Institute for Digital Ethics of the Hochschule der Medien in Stuttgart (HdM), sees the danger that harmful body ideals could become role models, particularly for young girls. "Some girls and young women are starving themselves to dangerous body weights, or developing eating disorders, with the known consequences."
Data from the Commercial Health Insurance Company (KKH) indicates that cases of disordered eating behaviors, like bulimia, anorexia, or binge eating, among girls aged 12-17 have increased by nearly 50 percent between 2019 and 2023.
The Ban on #SkinnyTok on TikTok
In response to pressure from European Commission, TikTok has now banned the #SkinnyTok hashtag. French Digital Minister Clara Chappaz shared her relief on X (formerly Twitter) after supporting a petition with 35,000 signatories and meeting with TikTok representatives.
Now, when users attempt to access content under the hashtag, a message reading "You are not alone" is displayed, encouraging users to seek help from trusted individuals and providing a link to a TikTok-owned information page about eating disorders.
However, Generation Z remains undeterred. By making minor alterations to the original hashtag, thousands of other videos promoting the same mantra can still be found. "Nothing tastes as good as feeling thin," users comment, asking for workout suggestions or diet advice: "Remind me, I'm so hungry," one user pleads, requesting reinforcement of the skinny girl lifestyle.
Defending the Trend vs. Calling it Out
Supporters of the trend claim that the advice is just promoting healthy behaviors such as counting steps, portion control, and drinking plenty of water - recommendations also found in many health guides. Yet, when daily calorie counts are circulated in chat groups with three-digit numbers, concern is warranted.
- The disturbing trend #SkinnyTok on TikTok, promoting ultra-slim bodies and questionable dieting tips, has raised concerns about mental health, especially in regard to the growing obsession with thinness and its potential long-term effects on young women.
- The glamorization of thinness on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, through hashtags like #skinny and #modelbody, appears to be undermining the body positivity movement and encouraging unhealthy dieting practices, such as those depicted in the early 2000s by supermodels like Kate Moss.
- The rise of fitness and exercise-focused accounts, like those of influencer Liv Schmidt on TikTok and Instagram, has sparked discussions about the line between harmless weight loss advice and potentially harmful content, particularly when such advice encourages dangerous behavior like extreme dieting or exercise regimes.
- The ban on the #SkinnyTok hashtag by TikTok, due to pressure from the European Commission and concerns about its potential impact on young women's health and wellness, has been met with resistance from some users, who continue to promote the same ideals through minor alterations to the hashtag or through chat groups dedicated to discussing dieting and exercise.
