My Worthy Opponents are Wrong

While many view the actions of fitness influencers as reckless and dishonest, influencers firmly believe that the content they produce encourages and motivates their audience to make healthy changes in their lives. Thanks to social media, influencers also believe that learning about fitness is the easiest it’s ever been due to the infinite amount of ways we can network with others. 

Influencers may think that their physiques are inspiring the viewers, but their logic is flawed. Justin Ross, a Denver-based sports psychologist, states, “Seeing others succeed in sports can spur a drive of wanting to achieve for ourselves.” Many believe this when it comes to body physiques as well. However, using social media as a source of motivation implies that the motivation does not actually come from ourselves. Relying on others’ success to realize that a change is needed, isn’t inspiring us, it’s making us envy the influencers accomplishments. Recognizing that our present lifestyle isn’t healthy, then acting on it, is motivation from within that we all should look to obtain.

Influencers who post their unrealistic bodies see themselves and are recognized by many as role models. Those who express honesty and transparency about steroid use serve our youth immensely, as they guide them away from the liars of the industry. Acknowledging the “good” is great, but we can’t forget that the “bad” severely outweighs the positive in the fitness world. Praising phony influencers, which is commonly done, serves our youth no justice. They see the acclaim that the influencers receive, and try to replicate that success without fully knowing the truth. In doing so, they put all of their energy into a task that isn’t even possible. Deceitful influencers are not role models regardless of their status on social media. Having thousands of followers does not equate to honesty, or even make them an appropriate person to guide our youth to future success in their fitness goals. 

The same argument that influencers are role models can be rebuked once again. We know that their physiques are not natural, even if they don’t directly mention it. But those influencers know, and they willingly lie to get what they want. Instead of properly educating the youth on their steroid use, which would bring awareness to potential side effects, they choose to sweep their past under the rug. When they don’t even acknowledge their steroid abuse, they allow our impressionable youth to think that steroids have no consequences except for looking “jacked.” Influencers want their viewers to work towards obtaining their body goals, but don’t necessarily care about how the teens reach those goals. Not so much of a role model now, right? 

Fitness influencers also claim that they are improving the lifestyles of the individuals they connect with. Some may, but again, many send unwanted feelings into their young viewers minds. Getting teens to go to the gym is a “win” in the influencers eyes, but they don’t care what’s driving that desire to workout. When the feelings of “not being good enough” invade their minds, the only lifestyle teens experience is eating an inordinate amount and working out to extreme extents. Allowing our youth to think only about their next gym session or meal is not a healthy lifestyle, but rather a debilitating addiction. 

Influencers don’t think they are spreading the feelings of shame, guilt, and despair to their audiences. Rather, they think that their content provides the viewer with a sense of pride which allows them to “hold themselves accountable.” They essentially want others to feel compelled to work out. Majority of the time, the viewer does feel compelled to work out, but not because the posts make them feel prideful about how their body looks. Our youth interacts with the content and ends up feeling that they have to compete with the influencers to reach those same physiques, so that they can meet the body standards that have slowly normalized each and every year. 

Tim Dodd, author of an article on Media Blaze, views that fitness influencers are spreading the idea of health one post at a time. He claims that consistent and diverse content, made by influencers with hospitable personalities, makes social media an ideal place to visit for fitness advice. Insisting that social media is the place to go for fitness inspiration isn’t always right. Social media is filled with many users who are unhelpful or even disrespectful to newcomers. Additionally, when we see pictures of highly unattainable bodies, it fills the minds of teens with fear and doubt. Inspiration isn’t drawn from self motivation in these scenarios. Comparing their natural bodies to those riddled with steroids is one of the first stages that leads to body dysphoria, a plague wreaking havoc on our youth.

Posting on social media provides the influencers with the ability to reach those from all over the world. Or so they say. Posted on The Australian Fitness Academy, the article “How Social Media Has Influenced The Fitness Industry,” states, “Gone are the days where you need to pay for a magazine subscription, as so much valuable content is now posted online for free.”

The author here believes that valuable fitness advice can be accessed easily, quickly, and affordably, whereas in the past we had to subscribe to magazines that had us waiting weeks for the next edition. Those that believe this use the false analogy that just because some things are accessed for free, they assume everything valuable related to online fitness is free. Influencers, such as Chris Hemsworth, quickly proved this wrong as they make their followers pay insane amounts for over glorified training programs and regimes that they could probably find elsewhere with just a little bit of research. Additionally, the content that is free may be from someone who is not verified in the fitness community, further lowering the credibility of that advice. 

The positions held by many influencers can be right when regarding true fitness influencers. Giving credit to the fitness influencers that have us and our youth at the forefront is essential, but we must not allow phony influencers to continue to be recognized and praised for their accomplishments, when they demonstrate no humanity or transparency to vulnerable adolescents. 

References 

Dodd, T. (n.d.). Spreading health one post at a time – the rise of the fitness influencer. Mediablaze. Retrieved November 19, 2022, from https://mediablaze.com/insights/fitness-influencers 

Khore. (2022, July 27). How social media influenced the fitness industry: AFA Blog. Australian Fitness Academy. Retrieved November 18, 2022, from https://www.fitnesseducation.edu.au/blog/health/how-social-media-has-influenced-the-fitness-industry/

Paulson, P. (n.d.). Delusions of a dream physique: Influencers perpetuate unrealistic expectations. Spartan Shield. Retrieved November 18, 2022, from https://spartanshield.org/31453/student-life/delusions-of-a-dream-physique-influencers-perpetuate-unrealistic-expectations/#:~:text=When%20people%20start%20to%20become,for%20teenagers%20and%20younger%20people. 

Wellman, M. (2016, February 17). Here’s how social media is inspiring you to workout. The Des Moines Register. Retrieved November 18, 2022, from https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/life/living-well/2016/02/17/how-social-media-is-inspiring-you-to-workout/80026366/ 

Yu, C. (2021, November 18). 7 ways to use social media to boost your workout motivation. Life by Daily Burn. Retrieved November 18, 2022, from https://dailyburn.com/life/fitness/social-media-workout-motivation/#:~:text=Social%20media%20doesn’t%20just,full%20of%20positive%20self%2Dtalk.