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Nudity Comfort and Social Attitudes Towards Nudity

The human body is a powerful tool of expression and communication. The mode of dressing depicts one’s confidence, identity, and personality in Society. People dress up depending on their mood, occasion, and comfortability. The level of skin exposure is personal and is influenced by various factors. The presence of social media platforms where people can express themselves through pictures and videos has been a game-changer regarding traditional narratives of nudity (Wirtz et al., 170). Nudity is a social issue that has raised controversies among people from different cultures and backgrounds. Contemporary social norms vary as far as nudity is concerned. Most people believe nudity is the level of exposure or nakedness of the human body. Nudity perception and comfortability are massively influenced by one’s background and their parent’s perspective of nudity (Jaakkola et al., 75). The degree of nudity varies among different parents. This paper aims to discuss the influence of social media on Society’s attitude toward nudity.

Research Question; How has social media influenced Society’s attitudes towards nudity?

Hypothesis; I believe the media has positively influenced attitudes towards nudity, promoting comfortability and desensitization.

Literature Review

Research shows that nudity in the American culture is the ultimate test of body comfortability and acceptance. As a tool for self-expression, social media has facilitated this narrative and allowed society members to express themselves through different levels of nudity depending on their comfortability and confidence (De Vries& Bouke, 420). According to research, media users post pictures to convey various messages about themselves. Statistics show that women focus on making themselves look attractive on social media platforms while men focus on creating an active and independent character through their pictures. The level of nudity adopted by these two groups varies depending on their motivation and the trends in social media. Research suggests a colossal difference between nudity and sexuality seen and experienced in different social media platforms (Judd et al., 158). Most people confuse social media’s role in propagative body positivity through nude pictures and sexual content.

Studies conducted in American countries revealed that some cultures still believe social media has increased nudity, portraying sex, making it inappropriate and unacceptable (Hirvonen et al., 2021). However, this point of view has been challenged by different scholars. Social media platforms have enhanced body positivity, especially among women, and facilitated a shift towards confidence, self-love, and comfortability in their skin.

Social media has allowed for the establishment of programs that advocate for the desexualization of female bodies and celebrate the diversity of the female form. Research shows that the prevalence of social media access and use has increased awareness of the body-shaming challenges that most people, especially ladies go through in Society (Van et al., 159). For this reason, cases of body shaming and bullying, especially in learning institutions, are taken seriously, and punishment is administered accordingly to offenders. Consequently, individuals have come out and appreciate their different body types through social media. Agencies and programs that support non-sexual nudity and body appreciation have been established thanks to their broadcast and the need for urgent solutions facilitated by various social media platforms.

Statistics show that social media is an integral part of young people’s lives in modern society. Studies suggest that social media threatens young people’s social and sexual well-being with improper approaches and misunderstanding (Wright et al., 15). Social media contains all types of information regarding nudity and sexuality. Therefore, it risks young people’s exposure to inappropriate content that might trigger sexualization of the human body. Research shows that some advertisements used in various social media platforms promote body sexualization, especially for women, instead of uplifting and encouraging various body forms and freedom of expression.

conclusion

Social media has created a global village where people interact and express themselves freely through their bodies without fear of judgment. It has allowed many people to connect with their inner self and discover true self-worth through messages conveyed in nudity. Social media deserves appreciation for creating a neutral environment where people can normalize and use non-sexual nudity to reach out to others, make meaningful connections, and grow both mentally and socially. However, individuals need to be careful with the content they consume or post on social media. It is necessary to look out for the young generation who now have access to social media and are likely to misinterpret the intended message in nudity. Parents and instructors should take the initiative and expose children to proper learning activities that will open their minds and help them understand the significance of body appreciation and expression.

References

De Vries, Bouke. “The right to be publicly naked: A defense of nudism.” Res Publica 25.3 (2019): 407-424.

Hirvonen, Maija et al. “Peer-to-Peer Sharing of Social Media Messages on Sexual Health in a School-Based Intervention: Opportunities and Challenges Identified in the STASH Feasibility Trial.” Journal of medical Internet research vol. 23,2 e20898. 16 Feb. 2021, doi:10.2196/20898

Jaakkola, Maarit et al. “Useful creativity: Vernacular reviewing on the video-sharing platform Vimeo.” Culture Unbound 12.2 (2020): 73-92.

Judd Jr, Ben B., and M. Wayne Alexander. “On the reduced effectiveness of some sexually suggestive ads.” Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 11.2 (1983): 156-168.

Van Dijck, José, and Thomas Poell. “Making public television social? Public service broadcasting and the challenges of social media.” Television & new media 16.2 (2015): 148-164.

Wirtz, John G., Johnny V. Sparks, and Thais M. Zimbres. “The effect of exposure to sexual appeals in advertisements on memory, attitude, and purchase intention: A meta-analytic review.” International Journal of Advertising 37.2 (2018): 168-198.

Wright, Donald K., and Michelle D. Hinson. “How blogs and social media are changing public relations and the way it is practiced.” Public relations journal 2.2 (2008): 1-21.