BDD is something we should talk about more
Let’s admit it, social media through the years has made the Narcissus in all of us come out. What could be more self-centered than a selfie, especially a dozen of it. While it has been a platform for many to connect, not only with other people but also with themselves, social media also highlighted many undesirable things, the Mr. Hyde in everyone’s Dr. Jekyll, resulting in numerous anxieties and mental health problems people these days experience.
Among those is Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). Defined as “a distressing psychological condition where a person becomes very preoccupied with one or more features in physical appearance” by the BDD Foundation, it is seen as a “hidden disorder” with surveys reporting only two percent of the population dealing with it, making it “largely overlooked and undiagnosed.” But there's more to the conditions than just its numbers. And while it is small today, with the filter-filled world of social media, the threat of its numbers going big is highly expected.
To help shed light on the issue, Scandinavian fashion brand Monki joins the BDD Foundation to raise awareness around the psychological condition. The two will start a petition directed at the EU Parliament calling for transparency on altered images on social media. This would push for changes to ensure that organizations, companies, and influencers are legally required to state when images have been manipulated for paid content online. Tapping into an already important and ongoing movement, recent years have seen changes in the law in Norway and France.
“One important part of the BDD Foundation’s work is to remind people not to compare themselves to others,” says Kitty Wallace, head of operations at the BDD Foundation. “Altered images can affect our body image, triggering body dissatisfaction, and exacerbating BDD symptoms. We see this petition as a vital tool for approaching the EU Parliament to raise questions and drive real change.”
“Monki is a purpose-driven fashion brand, and together with our community, partners, and collaborators we want to be part of driving change in the world,” Jennie Dahlin Hansson, managing director at Monki, adds. “We believe we have the responsibility to use our global platform for good, and we are very proud to be partnering up with the BDD Foundation and supporting their important work.”
Monki, which opened two shops in Manila in 2020, will use its digital channels to share information and educational materials with its community about body dysmorphic disorder.
More info about BDD and the petition can be found on monki.com and on bddfoundation.org.