A Guy's Guide to Body Image Listen Al's friend Rachel invited him to go to the lake for the day with her family. Rachel thought Al was fun to be around — plus he was cute. Rachel really hoped he'd say yes. Al turned Rachel down. The Truth About Guys Many people think of guys as being carefree when it comes to their appearance. You may hear a lot about being a tough guy, but how often do you hear that being a guy is tough? The good news is that self-image and body image can be changed. Why Is Body Image Important? Body image is a person's opinions, thoughts, and feelings about his or her own body and physical appearance. Body image is part of someone's total self-image. Listen How Puberty Affects Body Image Although body image is just one part of our self-image, during the teen years, and especially during puberty, it can be easy for a guy's whole self-image to be based on how his body looks. Some guys don't feel comfortable in their changing bodies and can feel as if they don't know who they are anymore. Listen Listen
untitled Body image - Family Lives Teenagers are frequently presented with unrealistic ideals of male and female body types, as models and celebrities fill the screens and pages of the media. These images can lead to expectations and worries around body image, as teens focus on how they feel they should look. Some teens may worry that they are over or underweight or, while others may aim for a toned or muscular appearance that may not come naturally. Why is body image important to teenagers? As teenagers go through hormonal changes and new experiences, their bodies naturally change and grow. Tips on promoting a healthy body image Being a teenager can be a turbulent time. Have a relaxed conversation with your teenager to find out their thoughts on body image and any insecurities they may have about themselves. Remind your teen that the images they see in the media are not representative of reality, and that pictures are often digitally retouched to create a false sense of 'perfection'.
Is that really me? The ugly truth about beauty filters | Australian lifestyle Popping a beautifying filter on the TikTok video she was filming seemed harmless to Mia. It made it look as though she had done her makeup, took away the hint of a double chin that always bothered her, and gently altered her bone structure to make her just that bit closer to perfect. After a while, using filters on videos became second nature – until she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror one day and realised, to her horror, she no longer recognised her own face. “I just felt so ugly … It’s a very scary moment,” she says. “When you’ve got that filter up all the time … you almost disassociate from that image in the mirror because you have this expectation that you should look like that. As well as adding makeup, many of the popular filters that have crept into app libraries also change the face’s proportions, generally to fit female, European beauty standards, with thinner faces, smaller noses and plump lips. “I’m a bigger girl,” she says.
A model uses her success to underscore some important points about image and privilege. It'd be difficult to find a single one of us who hasn't been influenced by advertising and images. It's so subtle that a lot of us could probably even tell ourselves we haven't been influenced because it's like the air we breathe — it's around us constantly and we don't even think about it that much. Case in point — I bet you can finish this slogan without even Googling it: "Choosy moms choose ______." We're constantly absorbing data and impressions from imagery and ads whether we know it or not, and companies pay big money in the race to be the first to push their impressions into our faces. Let model Cameron Russell break it down because she nails it. She's had success as a model for about a decade, and she took to the TED stage to share some unique insight from her journey. Here are three great aha moments she brings to the audience. 1. She came out looking like this, knowing it was going to give a certain first impression. All images from TED/YouTube. "Image is powerful. 2. "Be my boss.
Nude photos: 7 laws protect you - but they're not enough How much does UK law protect your naked selfies? Err, not very much. And that's a problem because over half of us have sexy or nude pictures floating around the web. Some 54% of internet users had sent a sexy picture online, according to research by security firm McAfee in 2014. So what laws protect your nude pictures in the UK? These ones: 1. Any action that involves illicit access to someone else's computer is illegal according to The Computer Misuse Act 1990. 2. Using naked pictures to pressure people for money or anything else is illegal in the UK – under the 1968 Theft Law. 3. Angry comments or even threats? 4. Taking pictures of someone without consent when they’re in private premises contravenes privacy laws that apply to photographers – and anyone with a camera. If the pictures are also sexual in nature or used for sexual gratification, the voyeurism law in the Sexual Offences Act 2003 also kicks in. 5. The problem? It's not just a women's issue And nobody's safe.
Plus-size model Zach Miko: 'Men want to see normal-looking guys modelling their clothes' | Fashion Zach Miko is 6ft 6in, has a 40in waist, and is the first plus-size male model signed to a major agency, IMG, which looks after models including Lara Stone, Freja Beha and Gigi Hadid. Having modelled for Target, one of the US’s biggest retailers, and soon to be modelling for Yours, one of the UK’s biggest plus-size fashion retailers, the 26-year-old’s signing comes at an interesting time in “plus-size” male modelling. Despite the demand, there are currently no plus-size male models on the books of a major agency in the UK. In Germany, there are three agencies dedicated to plus-size male models, but their remit rarely stretches outside Germany (Miko hails from Connecticut). In menswear, plus-size refers to XL and up (higher than a 42in chest), but can stretch to anyone very tall and well built. You’ve been signed to IMG as its first plus-size or “brawn” male model. There are very few [plus-sized male models] in the US. Why? It’s still a very new thing. What do you mean? Yeah.
Coming out - Family Lives Is your child trying to drop hints? Some children may try to drop hints to you, either verbally or through their behaviour, that they may be gay. Being particularly homophobic may sometimes be an indicator. Your child may be trying to deflect attention from their own feelings of being attracted to someone of the same sex. Some young people may explore their parents’ views about homosexuality – perhaps asking what they think of well-known gay and lesbian people. This may be your child’s way of judging whether it is safe for them to talk to you more directly about how they feel. Be prepared for hints and invitations to talk about same-sex sexuality. Some parents wonder if they should ask their son or daughter directly about their sexuality. Brush up on your knowledge As a starting point, you could ask yourself what you already know about lesbian and gay sexualities. You could make a start on this by finding out about organisations run by parents of lesbian and gay children.
Sexting: Victoria makes it an offence to send explicit images without consent | Australia news Victoria is to become the first state to modify its laws on “sexting”, making it an offence to distribute explicit images without consent but also exempting young people from child pornography offences. The Victorian government said it has accepted 11 of 14 recommendations from a parliamentary inquiry into sexting, a practice that involves the distribution of explicit images via mobile phones. There will be a new law to create an offence for “non-consensual sexting”, which most commonly occurs when jilted lovers maliciously send intimate pictures of their former partners to others. Coalition MP Clem Newton-Brown, chair of the parliament’s law reform committee, said that the unauthorised sending of explicit pictures can have "very dire consequences for victims who are embarrassed and humiliated". However, the government said it would ensure that children who distribute images are not charged with child pornography offences.
Healthy Sex Talk: Teaching Kids Consent, Ages 1-21 A list of parenting action items, created in the hope that we can raise a generation of children who have less rape and sexual assault in their lives. The ongoing horror of rape in the news, from Penn State to the young women raped and killed in India to Steubenville, has proven to be a wake-up call for many parents. We always knew that rape was a problem, but never before have we been so mobilized to create change. As writers, educators, and advocates of sex-positivity and healthy consent, the four of us have been inundated with requests from parents for advice on how to help create a future with less rape and sexual assault. We believe parents can start educating children about consent and empowerment as early as 1 year old and continuing into the college years. We hope parents and educators find this list of action items and teaching tools helpful, and that together we can help create a generation of children who have less rape and sexual assault in their lives. Sincerely, 1. 2. 3. 4.