Navigating Social Media As A Disabled Woman
In order to gain insight into the online disability community, we sat down with Ainsley, a teen disability advocate who has firsthand experience with disability and social media advocacy.
Graphic by Raquel Wilkins: portrait of a woman in brown hair isolated on dark background by Jacob Lund from Noun Project
Social media is a huge part of our daily lives, and the content on our feeds has the power to influence how we perceive ourselves and the world around us.
Thankfully, mute, block, and unfollow options all make it a bit easier to control the information we are exposed to on social media.
But how do we know which type of content and accounts to stray away from, and which to follow in their place?
The first step to better social media use is recognizing what difficulties social media presents for all girls and women, including those of us that are disabled. Despite also having detrimental experiences on social media, disabled girls and women are rarely included in the discussion.
Now we will be!
The next step is figuring out how to use social media in ways that are empowering for YOU. While social media can be toxic, learning how to avoid negativity and engage with uplifting content can enhance anyone’s social media experience.
Body Image Issues
Weight Changes.
Weight loss and weight gain due to one’s disability is not uncommon. Medications include side effects, one of the most common being weight changes. Surgeries and recoveries bring weight changes. The physical toll illness and disease have on the body, in general, can result in weight changes.
When Ainsley began experiencing weight fluctuations due to her disability, she remembers being “ridiculed terribly [and] insulted all the time” by people at school. As a result, she was worried about being taunted online as well. So, while it may seem fine to say, “You gained/lost weight, you look ________!”, we never really know what someone has going on behind the scenes, and it is best to avoid commenting on people’s weight altogether.
The “Ideal” Body.
Social media perpetuates the concept of an “ideal” body. Celebrities and influencers promote unhealthy detoxes and diets, and there are countless filters and editing apps to digitally alter our bodies to “perfection”. In reality, the “ideal” body changes every decade, proving that there really is no single “perfect” body type. However, the “ideal” body has still negatively impacted women for generations.
For disabled girls and women specifically, the “ideal” body can leave many of us feeling insecure about our bodies. Some disabled girls and women use medical devices, like central lines, oxygen tanks, walkers, etc. Others have invisible disabilities, or disabilities that are not apparent straight away. Regardless, all disabled girls and women are at risk of developing body image issues.
Graphic by Raquel Wilkins
Mental Health Struggles
Superficial Positivity.
People tend to share the good news on social media. Photos from a family vacation, a wedding, and graduations. Posts about promotions and new jobs, the birth of a new family member, and buying first homes. The reality is, people only want to share the best parts of their lives on social media. Concerns about judgment and ridicule make people second-guess posting about a tough day or needing support. And unfortunately, forced positivity is present in the disabled community as well.
As Ainsley’s social media following grew, she felt more pressure to post inspirational content and avoided sharing the difficulties of her disability. When we make ourselves stray away from uncomfortable or difficult conversations, we do ourselves a disservice and our mental health suffers.
Inspiration Porn.
Inspiration porn is the act of making disabled people seem inspirational solely for having a disability. For example, a photo of a disabled woman with her partner may be stolen and used as inspiration porn, with the caption, “This brave woman didn’t let her disability stand in the way of love!” When disabled people’s humanity is entirely erased this way, it can feel frustrating and result in questioning our own value. As Ainsley explained it, inspiration porn is a “Cycle of seeing disabled people only as objects of inspiration”.
3. Covid-19.
Many people with disabilities are at high risk for infections and/or have weakened immune systems. As a result, going out to the grocery store, or anywhere else, during the pandemic can be especially dangerous. Spending time confined indoors is not uncommon for disabled people, but it has been difficult to see posts on social media of able-bodied people living their lives freely despite the pandemic.
The longer Covid-19 rages on, the longer disabled people have to stay inside. Ainsley mentioned that Covid-19 makes disabled and able-bodied people alike question whether “disabled people [are] really that important”. Concerns about the future’s uncertainty and feelings of worthlessness are can be prominent for some disabled people.
The Positives
Community.
You can find comfort in the disability community on every social media platform. There are other girls and women who have shared similar experiences and can understand the range of emotions you’re feeling. Social media can be used as a resource for making lasting friendships and building a solid support system of people who “get it”. While there will always be some people in every community who do not add to our experience, there are a ton of other people who make up for it!
Education.
Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, TikTok, you name it. Every social media platform has opportunities for education, whether you are trying to learn more about your own disability or disabilities in general, there are many disabled people sharing their experiences and spreading awareness. Social media is also a great way to get into advocacy ourselves. While there are many disabled advocates on social media, there can never be too many. If you’re comfortable, share your own experience and spread awareness in a way uniquely your own.
Graphic by Raquel Wilkins: photos by Jacob Lund from Noun Project
Ainsley’s Advice on Advocacy
Advocacy, not popularity.
“You don’t have to be popular to be an advocate, you don’t have to be popular to make a difference.” Advocacy is not about popularity, and you do not need a large following to be a disability advocate. Advocacy is about spreading accurate information and sharing our experiences, and the more people involved in the discussion the better. Don’t let your follower count discourage you from partaking in advocacy!
Be true to yourself.
“Posting things that don’t make you happy or feed into society’s idea of what disabled people should be, you don’t have to do that.” Share what you are comfortable sharing and post what you feel like posting. Advocacy is not meant to be limiting, so do not feel pressured to conform to typical social media trends. It is still your social media account, and you decide what your platform is about!
Your voice matters.
“You can raise awareness on anything and that is what makes the disabled community so great and so diverse, there are so many different perspectives.” Sharing our unique stories allows more people to learn and find community. While advocacy may seem daunting, it can be empowering for you and other disabled girls and women.