The Internet Is More Image-Focused Than Ever
This article explores the shift in internet culture from the body-positivity movement toward an image-focused environment driven by social media algorithms. It discusses how trends like GLP-1 usage and cosmetic procedures are reshaping societal beauty standards.
Why it matters
Understanding how digital platforms influence self-perception is critical for addressing the mental health impacts of social media on younger generations.
Just a few years ago, the body-positivity movement was going strong. What happened?
Illustration by The Atlantic. Source: Gallo Images / Alamy. August 10, 2026, 6 AM ET Share Save Listen − 1.0 x + Seek 0:00 34:56 Subscribe here: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts
It wasn’t that long ago that “body positivity” was all over the internet. Oppressive beauty standards hadn’t gone away by any stretch, but many people on social media were pushing against limits on what an “ideal” body could look like. Now, things have swung in the opposite direction, with the rapid uptake of GLP-1s and the resurgence of a skinny ideal, combined with a new frankness about plastic surgery. The calls for “self-love” and “health at any size” can be harder to hear these days over the roar of looksmaxxers and influencers talking about weight loss and cosmetic procedures.
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