Love Island hits our screens tonight and a fresh cohort of bikini-clad singletons will grace our screens, desperate to find love in the famous villa.
Hosted by Maya Jama, the 11th series will no doubt see new contestants pull each other for endless 'chats' by the fire bit, agonise over whether they 'are loyal' and see where 'their head is at'. It's been dubbed 'the biggest series yet' but one thing is for certain - it's hard to ignore the cast's impeccable looks, and the tough beauty standards they set.
The ITV show has been notoriously criticsed for not representing plus-sized bodies over the years, and now an psychologist has issued a warning to any teens tuning in.
There has been a colossal rise in the amount of young people exploring the world of body enhancements. From botox and filler to more extreme avenues such as steroids and BBLs (Brazilian bum lift), the craze shows no sign of slowing down. With this in mind, experts warn that it's important for parents to look out for the signs their child may be feeling insecure, suffering from low self-esteem or even comparing themselves to reality stars and influencers from a young age.
Educational psychologist Dr Patricia Britto has shared some advice for teens when it comes to body positivity and reality TV and social media. "Whenever the media promotes a particular type of body image, it can adversely affect anyone, particularly teenagers who are yet to develop their prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for rational thinking," she said.
Gemma Owen's mum makes cryptic 'fakery' dig after Love Island star's Luca split
"Teenagers can watch Love Island should they want to. Still, they need to be supported to understand how to manage their emotional well-being significantly if the show negatively impacts their self-esteem and confidence and they find themselves engaging in the act of comparison."
When teenagers, who are usually the most vulnerable, feel a type of body image pressure from what they have seen online and on social media, it's crucial the adults around them don't engage in body shaming. Dr Britto said it's essential that the language used in the household isn't harmful, and urged parents to avoid using a "one-size-fits-all approach".
If parents do start to notice teenagers comparing their bodies, the expert advised them to comfort them and nurture their feelings, as well as engage in activities that can "boost their mental health". Dr Britto added: "Teenagers are likely to benefit if adults notice that body dissatisfaction has been linked to risky behaviours such as unhealthy diet plans that lead to mental health problems.
"A survey by Be Real found that 36% of teenagers agreed that they would do 'whatever it takes to look good', which involved risky behaviours (taking steroids). 57% of teenagers considered dieting, and 10% considered cosmetic surgery (23)." She then said there are many ways adults can support young people, such as teaching them to be kind to themselves as well as noticing how social media and TV shows can affect their mental well-being and engage less with them if required.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
