Challenges of #bodypositivity: Social media and hashtag activism

ABSTRACT

Fat liberation movements seeking to dismantle systematic discrimination against fat bodies have been active in the U.S for over 50 years. Body positivity specifically has gained immense traction in the last decade. Recently, body positivity has been used more widely to, supposedly, individually challenge general ideologies that value thinness and fitness. Utilizing 200 posts from Instagram and 200 videos from TikTok, we examine the ways that social media frames body positivity and is an important vector for sending messages regarding ideal bodies. We find that body positivity discourse on social media is fragmented. While messages of “self-love” abound, those who are afforded self-love are those who still maintain somewhat hegemonic body standards. Additionally, we find that body positivity is also often linked to bodily changes rooted in weight loss and healthism, appropriating the original meaning of #bodypositivity particularly through the use of hashtags to influence social media algorithms.

KEYWORDS:

• Body positivity
• social media
• hashtag activism
• fat activism
• Content Analysis

Acknowledgments

We would like to send our sincerest gratitude to the anonymous reviewers, Dr. Elizabeth Lawrence, Dr. Michael Borer, Dr. Annaliese Grant, and Emily Wagner for their thoughtful commitment and time to providing guidance and feedback on earlier versions of this paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1. Brazilian Butt Lift.

2. (Bell and McNaughton 2007; Bordo 2013; Fikkan and Rothblum 2012; Orbach 2006; Saguy 2012)

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Sociologists for Women in Society Beth B. Hess Memorial Scholarship; University of Nevada, Las Vegas Graduate College; University of Nevada, Las Vegas Graduate and Professional Student Association

Notes on contributors

Torisha Khonach

Torisha Khonach, is a PhD Candidate in Sociology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Her research focuses on the ways bodies are controlled and expected to perform in various spaces, including sports, medicine, and social media. Torisha is dedicated to dismantling narratives which construct some bodies as inherently unfit and morally wrong, particularly fat bodies in relation to reproductive justice and access to medical care. Her work can be found in International Review for the Sociology of Sport and Fat Studies.

Anna Kurz

Anna Kurz, is a sociologist from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. They have a deep passion for addressing various forms of inequality within society and is looking forward to pursuing their Ph.D. in Sociology or Social Psychology. Their mission is to bridge the gap between academia and the public with tangible solutions, working toward a society that champions social justice and equality for all.