KaMana Community
Filter the Noise, Not Your Worth
Have you ever really stopped to think about how amazing our bodies are when we play sport? How incredible it is that we can run, jump, and perform very specific and intricate skills? Isn’t it wild that we can train hard, push our bodies to their limits, and perform things not everyone can do - then finish training, open social media, and suddenly feel like our bodies aren’t good enough?
Social media is now a huge part of our lives, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to step away from it. Because of this, it is important to be aware of athlete body image insecurities caused by social media, and to understand how we can navigate them.
The Filtered Reality of Athlete Body Image
As athletes, we can be impacted in different ways when we compare ourselves to what we see on social media. These impacts can be subtle, such as feeling less confident in our ability, feeling like we don’t fit in, or struggling to focus at training because thoughts about our body take up a lot of mental energy.
Social media comparison can also lead to choices, such as restricting food intake, skipping training sessions, or, sadly, dropping out of sport altogether.
What You See vs. What's Real
It is important to remember that what we see online is only the highlight reel of people’s lives - not reality. When it comes to body image, this is especially important. Angles, lighting, filters, and clothing can dramatically change how someone looks in a photo compared to real life.
When we are constantly exposed to the “best” images of others, it can feel like everyone else looks amazing all the time and that we don’t. This simply isn’t true.
The Comparison Trap
In our workshops 90% of attendees have said they compare themselves to others. It is so important to remember that every body is different. Not only are we all born with beautiful, unique bodies, but our bodies might also be different depending on what sport we play. There is no ideal body shape to be an athlete or play sport. You are perfect just as you are.
How Social Media Impacts Athletes' Confidence
Comparison on social media can certainly impact an athlete's confidence. This is something Lizzie has personally experienced:
“I remember when I was really insecure about my body and was following a lot of lifestyle fitness influencers online. I believed these people had ‘perfect’ bodies and that I needed to look like them to be the best athlete and feel good about myself. These people were not elite athletes. They might have been fit, but they weren’t training for high-level performance and competition like I was. This mindset was extremely unhelpful. It led to me restricting what I was eating and fuelling poorly around training. It also made me believe I could only perform well once I looked a certain way. I now know this couldn’t be further from the truth, and that period of my life was really harmful to both my confidence and performance.”
Lizzie
Signs Social Media is Affecting You
Ask yourself the following questions:
How does social media make you feel? Inspired and motivated - or like you’re not good enough?
Does it make you feel happy and confident - or inadequate and insecure?
Does the content you see inspire you, educate you, make you think, or make you smile? Does it align with your values?
Or does it make you question whether you’re good enough and encourage comparison with others?
It might be time for a social media audit.
Building Athletes' Confidence in the Digital Age
One small but powerful action you can take to rebuild athlete confidence is completing a social media audit.
Curate Your Feed Intentionally
Now may be a good time to review who you follow and what type of content you consume. Did you know that social media algorithms also influence what we see? These algorithms can exacerbate young people’s body image insecurities, anxiety, disordered eating behaviours, and poor mental health.
For example, on TikTok, users with eating disorders are:
23% more likely to like dieting videos
335% more likely to be shown those videos in the first place
(Dr Scott Griffiths, University of Melbourne, 2024)
When was the last time you actually reviewed the accounts you follow? It may be time to unfollow or mute certain people. We encourage you to consider whether the content you see is genuinely helpful for you.
Set Boundaries with Social Media
There are several other strategies that can help:
Follow accounts that align with your values
Set time limits to reduce doom scrolling
Regularly remind yourself that social media shows highlights, not reality
Reduce the number of notifications you receive from social media apps
Focus on What Your Body Can Do
Finally, continue to remind yourself of all the incredible things your body can do. When comparison creeps in, it’s easy to focus only on what we want to change. Instead, we encourage you to make a list of things your body allows you to do - whether that’s performing a backflip or simply using your arms to hug someone you love.
Our bodies do truly amazing things, and they deserve more appreciation. Don’t be afraid to give yourself a compliment.
Conclusion: Your Body is Your Power
Here at KaMana, we are determined to see a shift in athlete body image struggles. If you are finding this challenging, it is important to seek support. We recommend the Butterfly Foundation for resources and helplines.
Please remember: you are unique, you are capable, and you are enough. If you would like to learn more, check out our Body Confidence Workshop or send us an enquiry at hello@kamanacommunity.com.