Tips to promote positive body image

Practical advice for parents and carers

Help children and young people develop a positive body image by challenging idealised images on social media. Empower them to put value in more than just what they see in the mirror.

Explore our tips and expert advice below to get started.

Download tips

229 likes

Self-image, body image and identity

Young people see a lot of content online, but from deepfakes to body editors, not everything is what it seems. However, it can be hard for children to understand what is and isn’t real online. As such, they might try to live up to unrealistic and edited standards, making it hard to maintain a positive body image.

When they try to change a part of themselves to fit into that ideal, they might experience poor self-image. This can have negative impacts on their overall wellbeing. In fact, 1 in 10 girls aged 9-10 say that being online makes them worried about their body shape or size while 13% say it makes them jealous of other people.

Tuning, editing and filtering

According to the Mental Health Foundation*, 37% teens aged 13-19 felt upset and 31% felt ashamed about their body image. Further research from stem4** found that 3/4 of young people are unhappy with how they look. As such, when they take to social media, they might be more likely to edit their photos to appear in a way that makes them feel more confident. However, they will still look like themselves offline and that can make it harder to create a positive self-image.

Digital Matters

A free interactive activities to help children learn about positive self-image online.

SEE ACTIVITIES

Common editing apps

It’s important to have open conversations with your child on a regular basis about their digital lives. Ask them about the apps they’re using, how they’re using them and how it all makes them feel. Being mindful about their digital space can help them better manage their self-image and wellbeing.

Children who feel negative about their self-image may take to editing apps to create an idealised version of their appearance. Some apps may simply be used to change the colours or brightness of a photo. But apps that can change the shape of a face, make a body more muscular and more require more attention. Below are some widely-used editing apps to look out for.

Face and body edits

These apps allow users to ‘sculpt’ their bodies to look however they want. This means they can narrow faces, thin bodies, add makeup, remove blemishes and more. If your child uses any of these apps (or similar ones), consider asking them about it. How do they use it? Why? Where do they share the edited images?

Facetune
Face App
Peachy
Body Editor
AirBrush

Even if your child isn’t sharing these edited images on the profiles you follow, they might be sharing them elsewhere — such as in group chats or on alternate accounts.

General filters

Snapseed
VSCO
In-built features on smartphones and other devices
In-built features within apps such as Instagram and TikTok

White heart plus icon on a colourful background

Get expert advice on how to help your child build and explore their online identity safely.

GET ADVICE

How to empower children to develop positive body image

Tips to support young people

Help them think critically about images they see online

When we look at idealised images, it’s natural to compare ourselves. The way to deal with these images is to recognise that they are more like press releases — they showcase the best possible version of a face or body.

Influencers and content creators will often edit their photos to look a certain way and show a certain lifestyle. So, what children see online is not always even the best ‘version’. Instead, it’s an edited or altered version.

Encourage them to customise their social feed

Being bombarded by images of people with abs or a certain body type on their social feed can lead young people to think that this is the norm. Making them aware of a range of body types can help them develop a balanced view of body image.

Many social media apps have settings to curate social feeds. This means young people can hide content they don’t want to see and keep their social feeds positive. See step-by-step guides for different platforms here.

Empower them to put value in their talents and skills

Positive self-image is more than just appearance. Remind children that they are more than what they see in the mirror. Encourage them to put value in the range of talents and skills they have to help them develop a strong sense of self and improve their self-esteem.

However, if they need to talk to someone, be open for them to come to you. Alternatively, helplines like Childline, Young Minds, The Mix and Meic can give them other options to talk about body image issues to get support.

Talk positively about your own body image

Be aware of the language that you use to talk about your own body. Children pick up on this, so it’s best to try and keep it positive to encourage them to stay positive about their own body image.

Discuss what it really means to 'like' something on social media

Talk about the reasons behind why they are liking a picture; is it because others have liked it or because they’ve genuinely engaged with the photo? Getting them to think critically about this can help them developed a balanced view when it comes to seeking likes on social media.

Also, discuss the idea of algorithms. The more they ‘like’, comment and watch certain content, the more they will see. This means that negative content can be more difficult to get away from.

Focus on positive images online

Encourage them to celebrate what makes them unique, rather than comparing themselves to others online. Posting images that empower and inspire others can be a great tool to encourage others to do the same.

Similarly, encourage them to post honest images and videos instead of taking multiple photos or videos and editing the ones they choose.

Was this useful?

Yes No

Tell us why

More to explore

See related advice and practical tips to support children online.

Support on site

Resources to deal with cyberbullying

In the age of social media, how can I help my child maintain a positive body image?

Can selfies affect a child’s mental health?

How does social media impact the mental health of young people?

Advice for Parents – Creating A Positive Image