Of all the strange side effects of the pandemic, I suppose that a boom in the home workout business was inevitable. The release of endorphins to make our bodies and minds more content with this new way of life is one thing. But the idea imprinted on us as teenagers that this confusing time should be a time for self-improvement - self-improvement being weight loss – is ridiculous and disgustingly harmful to us, around the world.

The somewhat new but incredibly popular video-sharing app, TikTok, has been downloaded almost 2 billion times, globally. 2 billion times. In the past 7 weeks, videos promoting restrictive diets, fad weight loss tricks and gruelling exercises, have infiltrated the walls of this social media platform, many advertised as helping teenage girls to “glow-up”. The idea of a 16-year-old girl limiting her calorie intake to a dangerously low amount because a video told her she could look more beautiful if she did so, is sickening. But that is the reality of life for millions of teenagers in 2020 (to be exact around 41% of TikTok users are 16-24 years old). And the pandemic is not helping.

Arguably, there are positives of the pandemic giving us a time to change our eating and exercise habits. Ben, 17, struggled with eating healthily when he was at school. “I’ve really changed my diet… I think self-isolation has really helped me make more conscious choices of what I would like to consume and the ethicality of it”. He laughs and as an afterthought adds “the online workouts promoted constantly have actually helped me to see results… I feel so much better!” But for many this is not the case. Abby, 16, has sought out other ways to preoccupy her time, instead opting to put aside less time for social media. She has been baking, singing, walking, quizzing… The list goes on. She feels positive. Thousands of others do not.

At a time like this, it is important to remember that we are so easily influenced. By family, friends, and now social media. Layer by layer, the pandemic has revealed that society is still as harmful to us as ever. It is important to remember to check on friends, now more than ever. (And maybe put your phone down for a while…)