There’s no doubt about it, the rise in social media has become the pinnacle of the 21st Century. Instagram, Twitter and Facebook have been revolutionary in providing individuals and businesses with the kind of success, that in previous years, had been almost impossible to come by. Whilst there has been many a discussion about the validity of social media as per Essena O’Neill’s recent rejection of her successful accounts, there’s no denying that the rest of are well and truly dedicated to the bandwagon we have so eagerly jumped upon. In a world where the demands of social media are high we often choose to publicise every aspect of our lives to the masses – which often means that we open up our bodies, appearance, social lives, self-esteem and opinions to social criticism. So thank the lord, then, for the abundance of movements and campaigns that are available to sign, hashtag, follow, like and support which encourage a positive mind-set in a world where people are quick to point out our every flaw. But such is the nature of social media, it can be difficult to discern which movements and campaigns are official, and similarly, which ones would be valuable to you in nurturing a positive outlook. So if you’re stuck with who to follow, like, support, promote or who to go to for some invaluable advice or support, look no further!
For Self-Empowerment: ChooseREAL Campaign
o Their Mission
Founded in 2010, ChooseREAL founder, Ruth Lewis-Jones found herself appalled by the treatment that young women were receiving at their own hands. “Ruth was determined create a way for girls to feel content and confident in their REAL identity and value, and be equipped with skills and tools to endure and thrive through life’s challenges”. With 70% of girls believing that they are not good enough, this campaign couldn’t have come at a better time – we often speak about ourselves with a razor sharp tongue and self-confidence is at an all-time-low. ChooseREAL provides support, encourages young women to value themselves, boosts self-esteem whilst equipping them with the tools to feel empowered throughout their lives.
o Get Involved!
There is so much that you can do via ChooseREAL’s website to encourage positivity and empowerment in yourself and others. From becoming an Ambassador, to making a video for their site, to entering competitions, to sharing their articles…Utilising social media in the right way, ChooseREAL’s social media accounts are a haven of uplifting messages and positive awareness. Share stories and read the stories of others to know that you’re not alone, but also know that a positive mind-set is achievable. As well as using their hashtags #ChooseREAL and #MoreThanEnough, you can support ChooseREAL and your own journey by getting your hands on some of their empowering merchandise. Visibility is the key to helping yourself, and others, achieve a positive level of self-esteem! If you aim to celebrate yourself by utilising the resources that ChooseREAL supply and actively take part in the competitions, ideas and social media takeovers that they pioneer, you’ll soon find that you can cultivate a positive sense of self and encourage others to do the same.
For Self-Esteem: DOVE’s Self-Esteem Project
o Their Mission
Dove have undoubtedly been pioneers of self-acceptance for all – no matter your size, the colour of your skin, your age or your appearance, they have encouraged self-confidence in everyone. In spite of this positive reinforcement, Dove have reported that “beauty-related anxiety is a big problem, and is recognised as an important issue by young people all around the world”, thus, the Dove Self-Esteem Project was born in 2004 and began changing the lives of young women everywhere. The Self-Esteem project provides body positive and confidence boosting resources in abundance – but that’s not all, the programme aims to support, not only those who suffer with low self-esteem, but to parents, teachers, youth workers and mentors too. Dove’s project is an invaluable source of information and tips on how to improve your self-esteem and how to encourage others to do the same – which, let’s face it, is something that we need to acknowledge and encourage every single day.
o Get Involved!
Dove’s Self-Esteem Project does not exist for their own benefit, their resources heavily rely on your own dedication to take part in boosting the self-esteem of young women. For parents, there are innumerable activities, articles and advice for the young women in their lives who are struggling with low self-esteem. For teachers, Dove have cultivated an entire 45 minute curriculum which encompasses confidence-boosting workshops, talks and lesson plans. All of these resources are absolutely groundbreaking in their encouragement of body positivity and self-love, undoubtedly, Dove are changing lives, and you could too – just by taking a look at their site.
For Body Positivity: Health At Every Size (HAES) Kit
o Their Mission
It goes without saying that we live in a weight and body image obsessed culture, we are so accustomed to the negative conversations that plague us regarding weight that it can be difficult to challenge them all. This negative conversation about weight and body size is often detrimental and can have a severe effect on someone’s self-esteem, which is why something like the HAES Body Activism Kit is so very important to encourage a healthy body image. “Health at Every Size® is a weight-neutral approach to health. It is based on the simple premise that the best way to improve health is to honor your body. It supports people in adopting health habits for the sake of health and well-being (rather than weight control)”. The HAES Kit features stickers, badges, pins, pencil cases and postcards to encourage you on your own HAES journey. These are the kinds of conversations that we need to be perpetuating, not the ones that demean and belittle people when they gain (or lose) weight, not the ones that encourage a negative relationship with food, and not the ones that support that all bodies need to fit into one box to be seen as valued.
o Get Involved!
There are many ways to inspire your own HAES activism, the HAES message follows three main rules: the Radical Acceptance of all body shapes and sizes, Shaking What You Got in whichever positive ways you can, and realising that Life Is Delicious to encourage a positive relationship with food. If you live by and advocate these simple lifestyle beliefs, then you’ll soon realise that your weight does not define your worth. You can also support HAES by getting your hands on your very own Health At Every Size Body Activism Kit so that you can decorate your home with positive body reinforcement, or have a pin in your pocket for a little reminder of your worth.
For Finding a Voice: Wear Your Voice (WYV) Magazine
o Their Mission
Women’s magazines these days are often so self-obsessed that we rarely see the views, opinions and stories of women who aren’t white, slim, cis-gendered and with westernised features. Whilst the experiences of these women are valuable too, there is a far more diverse demographic of women who have equally as invaluable stories to tell – this is where Wear Your Voice magazine comes in. The founder of WYV magazine recognised that “conventional media magazines told [her] stories through the eyes of an air brushed size 0 model – I, me, you, we don’t exist. Where there is no integrity, there is no authenticity, where there is no integrity or authenticity there is no truth”. Fed up of this lack of representation, she created WVY to give a platform to those who wanted to use their voice to shout, scream and discuss their identites in a space that they had, so far, been denied. “WYV covers the latest in news, both locally and globally, issues such as LGBTQI rights, race, gender and body politics, and lifestyle & entertainment, where everyone’s voice is represented and heard”.
o Get Involved!
WYV encourages everyone to get involved – whether that be exploring a topic as yet undisclosed, telling a story of your experiences, or combating obstacles against your identity. As well as this, WYV are pioneers in the field of campaigning, recent campaigns have fought for the abolishment of victim blaming using their groundbreaking hastag #KillTheSilence, the visibility for all types of body and a call for an end to rape culture. Hardhitting journalism covering topics that all other media seems to overlook, but it is needed – WYV gets to the thick of it, and doesn’t stop until they have some answers. So join in and fight for your rights!
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