How Jameela Jamil Helped Change the Most Toxic Part of Instagram Culture
Instagram is one of the most popular social media apps today. While many people love using it to keep up with friends, celebrities, and brands all over the world, there is no doubt that Instagram also has some negativity lurking around its corners.
Actress Jameela Jamil knows a lot about this, and she has been working to change the most toxic part of Instagram culture. After tirelessly fighting for what she believes in, Jamil actually got to celebrate a big win recently. Read on below to learn more about Jamil’s activism and what win she got to celebrate with fans.
Jameela Jamil is an activist for body positivity
Before venturing into acting, Jamil worked for a while as a model. Even as an actress now, Jamil is no stranger to getting criticism about her body. As such, she understands how hurtful society’s narrow standards of beauty can be, especially when it comes to who can be defined as “beautiful” in the media.
Additionally, she also realizes that the images we see in the media do not reflect real life thanks to the widespread use of Photoshop.
In an op-ed about the danger airbrushing, Jamil said: “I suffered from eating disorders as a teenager and so I know how damaging ‘perfect’ images in magazines can be… If you see a digitally ‘enhanced’ picture of yourself, you run the risk of becoming acclimatised to that level of flawlessness and it makes it harder for you to accept your actual image – the one that exists in real life, in the mirror.”
She went on to share that more and more people in the U.K. are admitted to hospitals for eating disorders. “Meanwhile the beauty and cosmetic procedure industries are booming, the diet industry is at an all-time high, and social media filters and photo editing apps have emerged,” Jamil said.
Jamil also often posts pictures of herself that have not been Photoshopped and she encourages other celebrities to do the same. Additionally, she started an Instagram account called I Weigh to let users submit photos of themselves with blurbs about their accomplishments to celebrate their worth that goes beyond how much they weigh.
Jameela Jamil has been criticizing detox tea ads on Instagram
Jamil is also known for being vocal about the harmful effects of some ads on Instagram, specifically the detox tea that many stars promote. She has been known for criticizing celebrities like the Kardashian-Jenners for promoting detox tea to their impressionable audience.
She once commented on Khloe Kardashian’s ad by saying: “If you’re too irresponsible to: a) own up to the fact that you have a personal trainer, nutritionist, probable chef, and a surgeon to achieve your aesthetic, rather than this laxative product… and b) tell them the side effects of this NON-FDA approved product, that most doctors are saying aren’t healthy… Then I guess I have to.”
Jameela Jamil recently celebrated when a detox tea company got fined
Jamil’s activism on social media has not stopped people from promoting detox tea, but surely it has made many people more aware of the possible danger of consuming such a product.
In any case, one company — Teami — was recently hit with a $1 million fine by the Federal Trade Commission for failing to disclose sponsored ads and making misleading claims. Teami has previously worked with stars like Cardi B, Alexa Vega, and Kylie Jenner.
In response, Jamil shared a post talking about the news and said: “I f**king TOLD Ya. (Flicks hair).”
While the fine against Teami proves to be a step in the right direction for body-positive activists like Jamil, it’s clear that there is a lot more work to be done to fix this toxic part of Instagram culture.
