Gender and Health
True or false, women are more likely to be criticized for their appearance based on current trends on Instagram, which will have negative impacts on their mental health/body image.
True: women who are on social media more are exposed to “ideal” bodies and faces. This can cause many women to compare themselves and struggle with negative body image and mental health.
True or false, since the rise of the internet, there has been a large shift from medical to holistic approaches to health.
True, the internet gave many people access to information on many different types of treatment options and information on the body that they did not have before.
What type of SES group(s) are health trends such as detoxes or supplements mainly targeted to?
Middle and High SES because they have the financial stability and time to spend on wellness products and lifestyle routines. In addition they have easier access to obtain these products through purchasing online or driving to the stores.
When Black female patient’s pain/symptoms are dismissed by a doctor as "overreacting" or "exaggerated", and online health communities fail to validate or include their experiences, what type of bias is at play?
Racial and gender bias: Black female patients are less likely than White female patients to have their pain taken seriously, and are more likely to receive inadequate treatments. On social media, wellness trends and advice often center around the experiences, bodies, and standards of White women, leaving Black communities underrepresented or misrepresented. This reflects intersectional bias in medicine, where stereotypes of Black women’s pain tolerance or emotional responses can lead to unequal care and worse health outcomes.
On platforms like TikTok and Instagram, is it more common for there to be an increase or decrease of self-diagnosed conditions such as ADHD, depression, and anxiety after seeing posts from influencers?
Increase, which can eventually front risks that lead to types of over-medicalization and misinformation due to those misinterpreting their own experiences of having different behaviors and/or moods.
Because many people in lower socioeconomic groups face barriers such as lack of health insurance, reliable transportation, or affordable clinics and doctors, what has increasingly become their main source of health advice and medical understandings?
Social media and internet-accessible medical information. Because of the barriers presented, they may not have consistent access to doctors or any medical professionals which is why their primary source is to turn to the immediate and free alternative of social media for symptoms, treatments, or wellness advice, even if it’s inaccurate/not verified.
How do social media trends and accounts perform masculinity and how does this affect men?
Social media trends and accounts tend to portray masculinity or masculine men as being strong and aggressive. These trends open spaces for the black or red pill communities to grow. While on the surface these communities promote self improvement through focusing on one self and self care(through working out/growing muscle and money) it amplifies the issue of isolation and loneliness in men through the hyper-individualistic nature of the movements and condemnation of any portrayal of feminine characteristics (including empathy and emotional intelligence/ regulation which red/black pill movements give up in favor of heavy emotional repression)
In what ways can social media influencers influence young individuals to be discouraged or lose trust in medicine?
Social media influencers can market vitamins, drugs, or have brand deals with different companies and provide a “cure-all” solution. These vitamins/drugs often do not help individuals to become thinner, have clearer skin, or grow certain body parts. By influencers marketing vitamins/drugs that do not work, many young people may lose trust in the healthcare system. Since acne and weight gain may be a part of growing up, marketing drugs and vitamins to young individuals who do not understand what is happening to their bodies is very harmful. By taking a normal, natural process of growing up and making it about something that needs to be cured, influencers are harming young adults' trust in medicine.
What challenges are present when different SES groups try to access healthy foods and habits?
Low SES: budget restrictions, food deserts, unsafe neighborhoods/living areas.
Middle SES: some budget restrictions, time constraints.
High SES: no budget restrictions or limit of resources, possible time constraints.
On platforms like Tiktok and Instagram, the trend of “clean girl” aesthetic is promoted by female influencers. They show their routines that involve healthy eating and active habits. However, it is less common to see a “clean boy” aesthetic, why is that?
The “clean girl” aesthetic reflects today’s gender expectations that women should prioritize their appearance, self-care, and purity as part of their health and social values. On the other hand, men are less pressured to show their health or beauty routines on social media due to ideas of masculinity that value effortlessness, toughness, and emotional restraint. Sharing skincare or wellness habits might be seen as “unmanly” or vain, clashing with traditional masculine norms that discourage vulnerability or concern with appearance.
Tiktok and Instagram posts often frame sleep tracking, detoxes, and/or diet routines as necessary to “optimize” the body. Why is this considered an example of medicalization?
This is an example of medicalization because it treats normal behaviors and bodily functions as problems that need to be dealt with. By framing everyday routines as a medical or health issue, social media encourages users to see their bodies as something that needs to be constantly monitored, managed, and improved through health-related products or practices
How does SES influence the popularity of an influencer? What makes people invest in following their advice or lifestyle?
The higher an influencer's SES is the more likely individuals are going to want to follow them and be like them. High SES includes having more financial freedom, which leads to having greater access to health care/better food. When something is wrong with their health, they are more likely to seek treatment. Overall, individuals with higher SES will have better appearances because they can afford better treatment, gym memberships, better access to fresh foods, and overall have less stress. Due to all of these factors, they attract a variety of people and gain mass followings on social media.
When women express emotions on social media, like sadness and stress, they are often labeled as “overly emotional,” while men expressing the same feelings are praised to be “brave” and “vulnerable.” How does this double standard affect women’s mental health as well as gender-based stereotypes?
This can cause a woman to have an increased suppression of emotions and play into a higher account of anxiety or other mental health issues due to backlash and negative commenting. This reinforces any ideas of gender-based stereotypes because of the popular role social media takes in supporting them.
Some social media trends promise that tracking normal bodily functions (sleep, heart rate, periods, etc.) will prevent illness and optimize performance. How does this reflect the modern day commercialization of medicalization?
Wellness companies profit by advertising normal bodily function into problems that require constant monitoring, products, and services. Social media and influencer content often frames natural bodily processes as needing to be tracked. Apps, wearable devices, supplements, and subscriptions are marketed as essential solutions. This represents commercialized medicalization where normal bodily functions are reframed as health problems to drive consumer purchases, profit from anxiety about wellness, and reinforce the idea that health needs constant surveillance and consumption.
Some wellness trends, like detox trends or high-end fitness challenges, promise better health outcomes if followed rigorously. How does SES shape who can realistically participate and benefit from these trends?
Higher-SES individuals are more likely to see and be able to access these higher end wellness trends due to greater financial stability, access to transportation, more free time, etc., while lower-SES individuals may face barriers that prevent full participation which reinforces unequal health opportunities. Because wellness trends on social media often require the time and money to be able to fully participate and benefit from these trends, lower-SES individuals may face financial, logistical, or time-related barriers that prevent participation. Additionally, social media glorifies wellness trends and reinforces the perception that wellness is aspirational and tied to privilege, which contributes to unequal health opportunities and the social gradient of health.