The selected article for the given discussion is about the recently emerged trend in regard to women whose physical health is being impacted by online trends. The article states that “an increasing number of women are losing their monthly periods because they are following a social media trend for restrictive diets and excessive exercise” (Marsh, 2022, para. 1). I chose the article because it directly related to women’s health and wellbeing, and it reflects the major forces pressuring females to conduct such self-harm. The most interesting part is the fact that health professionals are also unequipped to deal with the problem since “GPs did not have the right training to spot the underlying cause” (Marsh, 2022, para. 5). Therefore, the current state of society pressures women to adhere to unrealistic expectations but fails to factor in their health and possible issues.
From what I learned about sociology, I can state that women are forced to act not in their best self-interest due to a wide range of forces. For example, it reminds course reading about the fact that religiosity directly impacts the timing of a coital debut (Adamczyk, 2009, p. 8). However, it does so by labeling certain acts as deviant or delinquent rather than educating them (Matsueda, 1992, p. 1588). Similarly, other social forces, such as culture, can affect women, where Koreans impose certain biases and prejudice against women born in the of the Horse (Lee & Paik, 2006, p. 270). Therefore, society diminishes women’s health in a variety of ways. By considering the prevalence of the issue, the article leaves me with questions. Why are there no cases of social media empowerment and improvement for women? How to change the social perception of women’s beauty, which would adhere to women’s health?
References
Adamczyk, A. (2009). Socialization and selection in the link between friends’ religiosity and the transition to sexual intercourse. Sociology of Religion, 70(1), 5-27. Web.
Lee, J., & Paik, M. (2006). Sex preferences and fertility in South Korea during the year of the horse. Demography, 43(2), 269-292. Web.
Marsh, S. (2022). Women losing their periods because of restrictive diets and excessive exercise. The Guardian. Web.
Matsueda, R. L. (1992). Reflected appraisals, parental labeling, and delinquency: Specifying a symbolic interactionist theory. American Journal of Sociology, 97(6), 1577-1611. Web.