Many of us suspect that the picture-perfect and highly photoshopped images of people we see on social media make us feel worse about our own bodies. Often subconsciously, we start comparing ourselves to people in Instagram images, and we judge ourselves to be worse off. Whether it’s the perfect skin, the successful career, the luxurious holidays, the designer clothing you cannot afford, or the gym body, the reality on social media affects our body image in a shattering way.

The research has made it clear social media triggers teenagers and children to dislike their own bodies. The findings of this study warn that social media represents a significant risk to the current and future health of today’s young generations.

In fact, nearly half of all children and young people aged from 12 to 21 questioned said they have become withdrawn, started exercising excessively, stopped socializing completely or self-harmed because they are regularly bullied or trolled online about their physical appearance.

Four in 10 said they are in mental health distress, with almost one in five experiencing body image issues and 14% experiencing eating difficulties, such as extremely restrictive eating, binge eating and purging or vomiting. Of those in need of support, just one in ten young people were receiving treatment. While the youngest internet users may be more prone to being negatively affected by social media, grown-up men and women are no exception.

Unattainable beauty standards popularized by influencers on social media provided little space for examples of real beauty in the past. But body positivity movements are growing bigger and stronger, and there are obvious signs that people are tired of fakery.

In fact, in recent years, there has been an important and necessary shift towards embracing body inclusivity in the fashion and beauty industries. Body inclusivity is the belief that all body types should be represented and celebrated in the media, regardless of size, shape, ability or gender.

This shift has been driven by a growing movement of individuals and organizations who are committed to making fashion, beauty and media more inclusive and representative of a wider range of body types.

The aim of body inclusivity is to challenge the traditional beauty standards that have long been perpetuated by the fashion and beauty industries. This movement seeks to create an environment where all body types are seen as beautiful and worthy of celebration.

The fashion industry has recently begun to embrace body inclusivity in a number of ways. Many brands have started to cast models of all shapes and sizes in their campaigns, which has helped to create a more diverse representation of body types in the media. Additionally, many brands are now offering extended sizing to better accommodate a wider range of body types.

The beauty industry has also taken steps towards body inclusivity. Many beauty companies have begun to expand their shade ranges to include a wider range of skin tones.

“Everybody deserves to feel beautiful no matter where they are in their journey. This is why body positivity and inclusivity is so important,” Pua’Nani Owens, a lifestyle influencer and body positivity advocate told Bored Panda. Owens said that there are “literally thousands of curvy influencers and plus-size fashionistas on every social media platform.”

Owens argues that the very representation of girls with bodies like hers is “what gave me the courage to claim my spot as a curvy lifestyle influencer. What started as a movement to love ourselves turned into a lifestyle of breaking the boundaries of both the beauty and the fashion industry to create and promote inclusivity.”

Importantly, Owens believes that body positivity is crucial for not only curvy women but women and men of all sizes. “It’s just that curvy bodies are currently leading the way with the movement!”

“I feel as though true body positivity starts on the inside and with each individual person. I’m a firm believer that if you love yourself and have a positive outlook on life, that it is contagious and will boost others on their individual journeys within their own lives,” Owens explained.

According to Owens, body positivity comes from evolving as a person so that you can accept yourself. “Evolving through self-esteem, self-confidence and realizing your worth outside of what your body can physically or visually offer others, and instead what your body can do for you.”

The body positivity advocate concluded by saying that we can all love ourselves a little more; that way, we can love and accept each other as a community within society.