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Picture perfect? Rejecting fake perfection

Pastoral issues Safeguarding PSHE Pupil wellbeing Mental health
Social media and in particular Instagram has led to an obsession with perfection that Karen Sullivan fears is damaging our young people. She looks at how we might tackle this in the classroom

In my last SecEd article (February 2019), we looked at the impact of social media – Instagram, in particular – on the self-esteem, self-image and overall health of young people.

At a time when child poverty and emotional health problems are at an all-time high, the emphasis on and obsession with perfection is having a catastrophic effect on the lives of our students.

And even if legislation does encourage the multitude of social media platforms to remove potentially damaging (and even life-threatening) material from their sites, there is no doubt that the trend towards showcasing and sharing perfect bodies, faces and lifestyles is here to stay.

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