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Christina Aguilera Announced as Cybersmiler of the Month Award Winner for October

The growth of image-based social sharing, video content and online trends has meant that many young people are feeling an overwhelming pressure to be perfect. Being ever more connected to societal ideals means this constant pressure can lead to devastating consequences. If you are affected by anything touched on within this article, follow the links to our various support services or click on the blue logo icon at the bottom right of the screen to start using Cybersmile Assistant, our smart AI support assistant.

We are excited to announce singer, songwriter and actress Christina Aguilera as October’s Cybersmiler of the Month Award winner for empowering people to recognize and celebrate their own individual beauty. Previous winners of the award include Megan Thee Stallion, Selena Gomez and Bella Hadid.

To coincide with the 20th anniversary of her hit “Beautiful,” Christina released a new version of the classic song to highlight the impact that social media is having on young people. The video features young children looking into their phones and trying to copy what it means to be beautiful through the lens of social media. The video for the song shows young people trying to be “perfect” in their bodies and appearance, leading to personal suffering – illustrated through one of the children needing medication.

“Young people have never been more connected. Although this brings many benefits, it also brings risks. It is important to remember that a lot of what we see online has been curated and frequently doesn’t represent reality. We want to remind people that the things that make them different are the things that make them unique. They are their superpowers.”

Laura Lewandowski, Chief Policy Officer, The Cybersmile Foundation

The powerful message of the video highlights the impact of popular culture and social media on young people, raising awareness of its potentially dangerous ability to alter or influence perception. At the end of the video, research statistics are highlighted on the impact of social media use, with a link to additional resources for help.

On her Instagram, Christina shared a powerful message for parents and their children on the importance of self-worth and the need to have compassion in the face of judgment.

“Today, it’s harder than ever to hear our own voice amongst so many others infiltrating our feeds and minds with mixed messaging… ultimately leading us to tune-out our own truth and self worth.”

Christina Aguilera, Cybersmiler of the Month

The growth of image-based social media posts, video content and online trends has meant that many young people are feeling overwhelming pressure to be perfect. Being ever more connected to societal ideals means this constant pressure can lead to devastating consequences.

“The original “Beautiful” video set out to bring awareness and a sense of compassion in the face of judgment, criticism, and outside opinions. It still carries an important message to remember our core values outside of what’s being fed to us…to find a sense of balance and accepting ourselves for who we are.“

Christina Aguilera, Cybersmiler of the Month

Cybersmile’s recent Digital Wellbeing 2022 report highlighted a number of concerns relating to comparison culture and the way technology is affecting young users:

Key findings from Digital Wellbeing 2022 include:

  • 46% of respondents indicated that social media makes them want to permanently change a part of their body through surgery.
  • 87% of respondents indicated that content on social media makes them feel pressured to be perfect.
  • 85% of respondents indicated that social media negatively affects the way they feel about their own body.
  • 89% of respondents indicated that social media negatively affects their mental health.
  • 77% of respondents indicated that social media negatively affects their physical health.
  • 89% of respondents indicated that they feel unsatisfied with their life when comparing it to others on social media.
  • 86% of respondents indicated that social media use makes them feel anxious.
  • 32% of respondents indicated that they feel addicted to bad news online.
  • 33% of respondents indicated that they don’t feel safe to share their opinions and views online.
  • 44% of respondents indicated that they are worried they have an addiction to social media.
  • 52% of respondents indicated that they feel better when they spend less time on social media.
  • 51% of respondents indicated that their sleep is negatively impacted by the amount of time they spend online.
  • 32% of respondents indicated that their diet is negatively impacted by the amount of time they spend online.
  • 32% of respondents indicated that their exercise is negatively impacted by the amount of time they spend online.
  • 40% of respondents indicated that their study is negatively impacted by the amount of time they spend online.

Everybody at Cybersmile wants to say a HUGE thank you to Christina for using her powerful platform to remind people that we each have our own unique beauty that is worth identifying and celebrating – we think that Christina is a true Cybersmiler!

You can explore the Cybersmiler of the Month Award winners Hall of Fame to see a full list of previous recipients and learn more about becoming a brand sponsor of the award here.

If you are affected by anything touched on within this article, we can help you. Visit our Help Center or click on the blue logo icon at the bottom right of the screen to open Cybersmile Assistant, our smart AI support assistant.

To learn more about Cybersmile and our work, please explore the following recommendations:

How AMAZING is this from Christina? Let us know your thoughts by contacting us or tweet us @CybersmileHQ.