Last night an infographic landed in my inbox. I’m usually loathe to share brand infographics but this one hit home. I’m in the business of likes, shares and comments. The only way the blog grows is if people engage with the content I put out. However, these statistics were a harsh reminder that sometimes we get caught up in chasing a like.
Dove’s latest #NoLikesNeeded campaign aims to highlight that social media can really have a negative affect on your self esteem. Some of the stats below are pretty terrifying. When 61% of women surveyed say they like social media as they can control their appearance and the way they look to others – you know we have a problem.
For most of my life I was obsessed about what other people thought and how they perceived me. I was so desperate to be liked by everyone. This blog, when I started, fed that obsession. I’ve lost sleep over the amount of times I’d be in tears or upset when someone tweeted that they didn’t like me. However, as I’ve got older I’ve begun to realise that you won’t be loved by everyone all the time and that, what really is important, is liking who you are over anyone else’s opinion. It took a lot of heartache to get me to this point though.
The truth is that the day I accepted me: my faults (and I have plenty) and my strengths, I was a happier person. Do I have rather big thighs? Yes. Do I have a bit of a tummy? Yes. Is my nose bigger than I’d like? Yes. But for every one thing I might not like about myself there are 3 things I do like and it is far more than skin deep. Am I a difficult human to get along with? Yes. Am I emotion and swing from extreme highs to bad lows? Yes. But you know what? I’m difficult because I know what I want out of life and won’t accept anything less. I’m extremely emotional because I’m extremely passionate and care deeply. For every perceived negative it can be turned in to a positive.
Social media can sometimes only highlight the negative and I think we have a responsibility to help other women to find the positive. I can seriously get behind #NoLikesNeeded. I’m hoping it will do a little bit to show the world that the only like that matters, is yours!
What do you love about yourself? Share in the comments below and lets celebrate our best bits.
