Hi, I'm Ms. Lowe, and I'm your RSHE teacher for today.

Thank you so much for choosing to complete your learning with me.

Now, today's lesson is all about time online and body image.

And because of some of the themes and topics covered in today's lesson, it's important that you complete your learning with the company of an adult.

So here is our outcome for today's lesson, and by the end of today's lesson, you will be able to explain how people online may alter their appearance and why it is not representative of how you should look.

Every RSHE lesson should begin with a set of ground rules.

This ensures that every conversation had in RSHE is respectful and we're all able to learn effectively.

So Laura is reminding us that in RSHE, we should listen to others.

"It's okay to disagree with each other, but we should listen properly before making assumptions or deciding how to respond." And, when disagreeing, we challenge the statement and not the person.

Andeep is reminding us to respect privacy.

We can discuss examples, but we don't use names or descriptions that can identify anyone including ourselves.

Izzy is reminding us to choose a level of participation that suits us.

Everyone has the right to choose not to answer a question or to join in a discussion, but we never put anyone on the spot.

And finally, Jacob is reminding us that in RSHE, there is no judgement.

"We can explore beliefs and misunderstandings about a topic without the fear of being judged." And here are our keywords for today's lesson.

Let's go through the definitions together.

So firstly, we have filter, an effect used on a photo or video to alter the way you look.

Body image, how we see, think, or feel about our body, including our shape, size, and appearance.

Body shame, to make hurtful comments about a person's appearance, body shape, or size.

Here is our outline for today's lesson, and we're gonna begin today by asking the question is what I see online reality? So when you walk into an art gallery, what you see around you is a curation of the best pieces of art that people want to display or own.

And curation basically means to carefully select something that they want to have on display or to exhibit for everybody to see.

And this is very similar to what we see online.

When we look at social media and the things that people post, they might carefully curate the content that they display online as well.

When people post online, particularly on social media, they often only share content that reflects them or their experiences in the most positive way.

For example, Andeep here is on holiday, and he shared a picture of the beach where he went on holiday.

However, what he decided to exclude was how busy the beach actually was.

And this example really nicely illustrates this idea of how people curate what others see online.

Andeep only wanted people to see the gorgeous beach that he went to on holiday, but he didn't want people to see how busy it was.

Now, we're gonna pause here, and we're gonna check our understanding.

People's social media posts are a reflection of what their lives and experiences are really like.

So pause the video, have a think about whether this is true or false, and then we'll go through the correct answer together.

Well done if you said false, but why is this false? Well, people's social media posts and what they show online are often curated, which means to carefully select and only show their best moments.

Now, people can also use filters to alter the way that they look online.

Now, sometimes the filters that we see online are funny or silly.

We might see filters where people have got cat ears or silly glasses on, but it can be very obvious when these are used.

And we can see Sofia here.

She's using a filter.

We can see she's got goggles on and a bowler hat.

We can see very clearly here that Sofia is using a filter.

However, there are some filters that are much more subtle and they alter appearances in ways that can be hard to detect.

So these filters can change the shape of a person's face.

They can smooth the skin.

They can make lips or eyes change shape.

They could even slim a person's figure.

They can emphasise body parts, such as legs, hips, or breasts.

They can lengthen eyelashes, change the colour of a person's skin as well, and they can do much, much more.

And when people use these filters, they're often, as we said before, quite subtle and hard to detect.

Now, social media algorithms can also distort what we think is reality by only showing us certain content in online spaces.

So Alex says that when he goes online, all he sees is adults with strong bodies who go to the gym all the time.

And because of that, Alex thinks that this is what all adult males look like.

Now, if we're only ever exposed to people who look a certain way or live a particular lifestyle, we can to feel that this is the norm because we're never seeing anything different.

Now, we're gonna pause here, and we're gonna check our understanding.

Which of the following can be altered by a beauty filter online? Is it skin colour, skin texture, or facial features? Pause the video, have a quick think about your answers, and then we'll go through the correct ones together.

Well done if you said all three.

Yes, beauty filters can alter a person's skin colour, their skin texture, and even their facial features.

Now, we're gonna put our learning into practise.

So with your learning partner, I want for you to discuss how what we see online is not always reality.

So in your discussions, I want you to consider curating images, filters, and algorithms. So pause the video here, have those discussions, and then we'll have a look at what you might have said in just a moment.

I am sure those were excellent discussions.

So let's have a look at some of the things that you might have mentioned.

So you might have said that some people curate their posts, and they do this to reflect their best experiences while leaving out things that are negative.

You might have said that people can use filters on the images or videos that they post.

And these filters can either be silly and funny or they can actually alter the physical appearance of a person.

And we know these as beauty filters.

Finally, you might have mentioned that algorithms may only show certain content to users, and this can distort what they think is normal.

In reality, not everyone's lives or appearances will reflect what they see or what they show online.

Now, well done if you mentioned any of those things in your discussions.

We're moving on now to the second part of our lesson where we're asking the question, why shouldn't I compare myself to others online? So when we spend a lot of time online looking at other people, we can begin to compare ourselves and the way that we look to others.

However, comparing the way that you look to what you see online can be really harmful.

And this is because what you see online is often unrealistic.

It's curated or manipulated by filters.

Many photos are edited using computer programmes or filters that are there to enhance features, to smooth skin, or alter body proportions.

Filtered or edited photos can remove certain features from a person's appearance that they don't want to show online.

Now, Izzy here is saying that the faces that she sees online are all so perfect.

She can't see any pores on their faces, and their skin is so smooth.

Photos that have been edited or filtered can start to make us think that typical features of our faces and bodies are imperfections.

If all we see is smooth skin that's been altered by a filter, we might start to think that normal facial features like pores or fine lines are imperfections, but this isn't the case.

The more we see images like this that don't reflect the way a typical body or a typical face looks, it can begin to harm our body image.

Izzy is saying this here.

She says that when she sees people online with perfect skin, it makes her so self-conscious about her own.

It makes her wish that her pores weren't so big and that she didn't have spots.

But we know that these are just features of a typical face and what Izzy is seeing online isn't a reflection of reality.

Now, we're gonna pause the video here and check our understanding.

So true or false: seeing filtered images online can harm our body image? I'd like to pause the video here and have a think about your answers.

Well done if you said true.

Yes, seeing filtered images online where everybody has perfect skin or looks a particular way with no imperfections can start to harm the way that we think about ourselves and the way that we look.

It's important to remember that comparing yourself to an image that's used filters is comparing yourself to an impossible standard.

These images that we see online that have used filters are not a reflection of reality or of how people really look.

In reality, all human bodies have pores and freckles.

They may have scars and cellulite, texture, and hair.

Human beings and bodies are all different, and that is what makes them wonderful.

However, online spaces can promote beauty standards that are unrealistic and unattainable for most people.

For women, these standards can include a symmetrical face, wider hips, and a small waist, large breasts, flat stomach, full hips, and high cheekbones.

For men, these beauty standards include things like being tall, having a defined jawline, a full head of hair, big muscles, looking masculine, and having wide shoulders.

It's also important to remember that the standards that we see in how bodies look and what people consider to be beautiful actually changes from place to place and over time.

It would be impossible to keep up with online beauty standards, and we shouldn't try to.

Andeep is saying here that "Everyone finds different things beautiful," and "There is no one size fits all for beauty." Sam says that when we compare ourselves to others, what we're doing is we're ignoring the beauty in our own unique features.

And I think that they are two really wonderful things to remember.

Alex says, "Doesn't seeing perfect bodies give people something to aspire to or aim for? Surely it makes them work hard to look like that?" And Dr.

Elsie responds, and she says that "Many influencers and celebrities alter their appearance using filters, surgery, or harmful practises.

And what this means is that these bodies are not aspirational.

." They're not something to look up to or to aim for because they're either impossible or actually dangerous to achieve.

Now, it's okay to want to better ourselves, whether that's being healthier, exercising more, or taking care of our parents.

That is okay.

However, wanting to look like or have the same physical features as someone else is not healthy for the way that we feel about ourselves and our body image.

It might lead us to having unkind or harmful thoughts about ourselves.

Dr.

Elsie says here that "If you are ever feeling worried or concerned about your body image, it's really important to speak to a trusted adult or a medical professional." Comparing ourselves to others online can lead to things like eating disorders, mental health conditions, like anxiety or depression, conditions like body dysmorphia, which is where a person spends a lot of time worrying about their appearance and how they look to others and themselves.

It can cause stress, feelings of inadequacy, which means that not feeling that you are good enough or self-doubt.

And if you ever experience any of these feelings, again, it's important to speak to a trusted adult or a medical professional.

Genetics, culture, and personal experiences shape how you look.

So comparing yourself to someone who has an entirely different circumstance to you is unfair.

Every single person is unique, and it's our individuality that makes us special.

It's those unique features that we have, and it's the fact that every single person looks different, that makes us so special.

We're gonna pause here, and we're gonna check our understanding.

Comparing yourself to others online is aspirational.

Is that true or false? Pause the video, and we'll go through the correct answer together in a moment.

Well done if you said false.

And why is this false? Well, the images that we see of others online are often altered and sometimes the body types and shapes that we see have been achieved in harmful ways.

Comparing ourself to others online is comparing ourself to an unattainable, impossible standard.

Well done, again, if you said false.

Now, we're gonna put our learning into practise.

So Izzy is worried about meeting the beauty standards that she sees online and is struggling with negative body image.

I'd like for you to give Izzy three pieces of advice about comparing herself to others online.

So Izzy says, "I see influencers who have perfect skin and their bodies are so flawless! They've got no cellulite or hair on their face.

It makes me feel so self-conscious and uncomfortable in my own skin." So pause the video here, and I want you to give Izzy three pieces of advice about comparing herself to others online.

Really well done.

So let's have a look at some of the Things that you might have said.

So you might have said that the images we see online are often filtered or edited, meaning that you comparing yourself to an impossible unattainable standard.

Images online filter out common features of human bodies and faces, which can make us think that normal things, like cellulite, skin texture, spots, or hair are imperfections.

You might have also said that everyone is unique and beauty is subjective.

And when we compare ourselves to others, what we're doing is we're ignoring the individual features that we have that make us beautiful.

We are moving on now to the final part of our lesson, and we're asking the question, what is body shaming? So body shaming is when someone makes hurtful comments about a person's appearance, body shape, or size.

Body shaming can appear in different forms. For example, body shaming can take place through direct comments that are made on someone's post.

So we have an example here.

"Your skin looks terrible in this picture." This is an example of direct body shaming.

Body shaming may also take the form of something known as concern trolling.

So this is when people pretend to be concerned about someone's body as a way to hide their body shaming comments.

We can see an example of concern trolling here.

So this person has said, "You should be careful about your weight.

You don't look healthy!" Now, at first glance, this looks like a comment of concern.

What it's really doing is hiding a body shaming comment.

They're making a comment about the way that a person's body looks.

Now, we're gonna pause here, and we're gonna check our understanding.

So body shaming can take the form of concern trolling.

Is that true or false? Well done if you said true.

So hiding a body shaming comment behind something that at first glance may look to be someone showing concern.

People also body shame influencers and celebrities by posting what we call before and after comparison pictures.

So we can see here an example of one.

So people may post articles or social media posts where they compare what a person looked like before and what they look like now.

And what these posts do is they're often shaming people for natural bodily changes, such as changes to weight, size, or shape.

So our example on the left here, they're saying, "Then versus now.

What happened?" But we can see that all that has happened is natural ageing.

On the left she is much younger and on the right, this is many, many years later.

So all that they're comparing is a natural bodily change.

And as we said just then, these posts even shame people for ageing.

So body shaming can also come in the form of policing beauty standards.

So this means telling people what they can or cannot do depending on the way that they look.

So here are some examples.

Somebody has said, "You're too skinny to wear that!" Or, "You're too fat to wear that!" Somebody said "You have too much cellulite to wear that!" And finally somebody else has said, 'You should wear makeup if you have skin like that!" So these are all examples of policing beauty standards, telling somebody what they can or cannot do depending on the way that they look.

Celebrities and influencers often use filters on their photos to mask what they consider to be imperfections.

Now, although this can be really harmful to a regular person looking at these images, they may feel forced to do so to avoid body shaming.

Celebrities and influencers are often the victim of harmful comments made about the way that they look.

And this can create what we know as a vicious cycle, and we'll have a look at that vicious cycle now.

So what can happen is a celebrity posts an unfiltered photo where all of their natural features are on display.

In return, people in comments may body shame them for their natural features.

Later, when the celebrity or influencer posts a photo, they decide to use filters to hide those natural features that they were body shamed for before.

People then recognise the use of filters, and then shame them for using them.

And this cycle continues.

Body shaming can have several harmful effects on the people who experience it, such as mental health conditions like depression and anxiety.

It can cause low self-esteem and poor body image.

It can cause eating disorders, a fear of posting images or interacting online in the future, body dysmorphia, and more.

So Dr.

Elsie's saying here that if a person ever experiences any of the things listed, they should speak to a trusted adult or a medical professional.

Now, it's important that we tackle body shaming and to do this, we can report it or tell a trusted adult.

Be kind because it's never okay to shame a person for their body or physical appearance, whether that's in person or online.

And we can check our privacy settings online, and this can help to avoid trolls and negative comments.

So I'd like for you to pause the video here, and we're gonna check our understanding.

Which of the following can be caused by body shaming? Well done if you said B, a fear of posting pictures in the future, and C, poor body images.

Well, poor body image.

These can be caused by body shaming.

Now, we're gonna put our learning into practise.

So to do this, I'd like you to answer the following questions.

Number one, what type of body shaming is happening in this comment? And we can see the comments to the left.

And two, what effect can body shaming have on people who receive it? So pause the video, answer those two questions, and then we'll go through the correct answers together.

Really well done.

So you were asked to answer two questions.

Firstly, you were asked what type of body shaming is happening in the comment? And you should have said that it was concern trolling.

Two, you were asked what effect can body shaming have on people who receive it? And you might have said that body shaming can impact a person's body image and make them feel self-conscious and upset about how they look.

It can also lead to more serious effects, such as eating disorders or mental health conditions, like depression, anxiety, or body dysmorphia.

Now, we're gonna end today's video by having a look at a summary of what we've learned.

So many people use online filters for their posts, particularly celebrities and influences.

And these filters alter appearances and hide things that typical human bodies have.

As a result of these filters, comparing ourselves to people online is comparing ourselves to an impossible ideal.

If we compare ourselves to the people we see online, it can harm our body image.

Everyone is unique, and it's the individual features that we have that make us beautiful.

Body shaming is harmful, and it's never okay to shame a person for their body or physical appearance, whether that's in person or online.

Now, if any of the things covered in today's lesson affect you, or you're concerned in any way, here are some places you can go to access support.

Firstly, we have Childline, a website and phone line, which is able to offer confidential advice and support, CEOP, which helps protect children from online abuse and exploitation, and finally, Internet Matters, which teaches children and parents how to stay safe and happy online while using the internet.

I'd like to end by saying a big well done for all your fantastic work you've done during today's lesson, and I look forward to seeing you in another RSHE lesson soon.