‘You can be too skinny, too big, not toned enough, not curvy, all at the same time’: young women, social media and paradoxical fitness ideals

In this article, we engage feminist poststructural analyses in dialogue with contemporary feminist research on young women and social media to examine how young women interpret, internalize and negotiate their fitness lifestyles in relation to rapidly changing body ideals on social media. This study draws upon an anonymous survey (203 participants) with a diverse range of young women (18–25 years) living in New Zealand and actively pursuing a fitness lifestyle. Similar to earlier research, the young women report feeling the pressure not only to adhere to thin ideals, but also to pursue bodies that are strong, toned and curvaceous. However, our research reveals that young women are struggling to navigate the multiplicities of paradoxical body ideals presented to them on social media. The article contributes to current understandings of young women’s fitness lifestyles, and how they actively navigate the fluid and ubiquitous nature of body ideals on social media.