Blog post #7: Gym Selfie = Cyber Bullying?

As what I have said in my previous blog post, not only the women were the ones who do selfies, men are guilty too. They do selfies too, specially in the gym it's either they want to brag their toned body or they just do it for people to be inspired to go to the gym. Which one is it?

According to an article by Kendra Y. Mims in sheknows.com entitled "Do your gym selfies make you a cyber bully?" she stated that the pictures we see in Instagram or Facebook with people in the gym is called fitspiration, some people get inspired by it and go to the gym too, but for some people it's a way of saying to them that they are fat or in other words fat-shaming. Like for instance Maria Kang, a fitness enthusiast who got banned from Facebook for posting a picture of herself with her three kids with the question: "What's your excuse?" For her she did that to inspire other women to start a healthy living and be fit, most of the people got inspired but many disliked her photo.

This article interests me because it gives us a message with two very different meanings. First of all, why would you post it in the first place anyway? Is it for you to inspire other people or you posted it to look down on people? Second, always be mindful of what you post, you'll never know you're already making someone depressed just because of a picture.

Kendea Y. Mims said, "On the flip side, fitness enthusiasts like Kang or others who use social media to show their toned bodies that they've worked hard for may experience fit-shaming for the way they look. Some may frown upon them for showing their bodies and accuse them of making other women feel bad about their self-image."

This quote says it all for those who get inspired and shamed of a picture. Just like what I said in my previous post, a picture is very powerful, it can make the audience be inspired or appreciate it and at the same time it

can also make other people mad or dislike your picture. So think before you post.

With this article I think there are many reasons why some peopl get aggravated with selfies, specially gym selfies. But why do people still post this kinds of selfies anyway?

In an article I have read entitled "Should you take selfies at the gym?" by Dani Russel in fitday.com she said that she,too,was guilty of gym selfies and wiht mirrors, she said that mirrors help you monitor of how you look after a hard day's work and it can really improve you because if you see a bit fat in your arms, you will be encouraged to work hard more to attain the body you were aiming for. She also said that never ever do a gym selfie wherein there is another person in your background, always be aware of who is around you so that no one will get the impression of you that you only go to the gym just so you could do a selfie and show other people that you've been working out and the truth is that you're not, we don't want that kind of impression from us don't we? Lastly she said that you can use your selfies as a monitor the progress you are making just always remember to be mindful of what you post and don't post all of you're gym selfies so that no one could get depressed and stepped on.

I think this article answers my first article in this blog, the reason why people do this kind of selfie is just to monitor on their progress and not to brag of how they look and specially not to step on other people's image. It is up to you on how you will interpret the photo for yourself.

Kendra Y. Mims said, "However, like all things, it's important to be mindful of your surroundings and considerate of others before whipping out your phone and taking a selfie, especially in public."

This quote is for all those who take gym selfies, besides that you should be aware of the people around in the gym before taking a selfie, you should also be mindful of the people in the social media after you post your gym selfie, will they be inspired of it or will you only make them more depressed of their image.

Gym selfies can benefit us and other people, but some people interpret it the other way around and as a result of that they will get mad at you and they feel they are being mocked because they think that you're boasting your body to them and think that you're bullying them which is completely the way around. So let's all make sure that we're not stepping on someone's feelings before posting your picture or better yet don't post it instead just keep it to yourself.