Filters and social networks: A Christian influencer urges authenticity

Hope Virgo asserts that “we should be okay with what we look like because our identity comes from God”.

In England, the Health and Social Care Committee published a report yesterday relating to the impact of body image on mental and physical health. Experts have questioned idealized exposure on social media and in advertising.

“Our survey found that 80% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that their body image had a negative impact on their mental health, with 61% agreeing or strongly agreeing that their body image had a negative impact on their physical health,” reads the summary of the report.

Experts are particularly concerned about the rise in young girls' dissatisfaction with their bodies and the impact this has on their mental health. They state, “The health implications of this situation are considerable”.

Speaking about this, Hope Virgo, a Christian influencer, called for authenticity:
“I think we should be authentic, and we should remember that it's really not about what we look like on the outside, it's about what's on the inside. »

For her, “it is above all a kind of relationship with God”. "We should be okay with what we look like because our identity comes from God," she said.

“People often struggle with their body image and this translates into a struggle with their identity and they lose sight of and forget who they are and their purpose on earth; the fact that they were created really, really unique. I have met many Christians, myself included, who have struggled a lot with who they are and what they look like. »

She believes that Christians are in a complex situation, between the message conveyed by social networks, even in the church, and their knowledge of this necessary acceptance.

“I think the other thing that makes it a little complicated, and maybe problematic in some ways, is that as Christians, we know that in fact we should love each other. . »

For its part, the Health and Social Affairs Committee urges “the government to immediately launch a comprehensive intergovernmental strategy which brings together, at the very least, the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Digital, Culture , Media and Sport and the Ministry of Education to tackle the current growing problem of body dissatisfaction and its health, educational and social consequences”.

MC