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Cybersmile Announce Camila Mendes as February’s Cybersmiler of the Month Award Winner

Thanks to her courage in opening up about her personal struggles, Camila has encouraged millions of her her own fans and many more young people around the world to consider seeking help for their own issues with body image, mental health and disordered eating. 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.

Cybersmile are excited to announce Camila Mendes as February’s Cybersmiler of the Month Award winner for openly sharing details of her struggle with body dissatisfaction which deeply affected her personal life and career in the hope of inspiring others to seek the help that they might desperately need.

The 28-year-old star opened up about her struggles with body image and her problematic relationship with food during the filming of The CW teen drama “Riverdale” which she has faced since childhood. Due to the pressures of TV and being a public figure, she came to the realization that even watching herself perform on TV made her insecure about her own body image.

Having risen to popularity over the past several years, she now commands a global fan base, and Camila’s decision to open up about her struggles will no doubt resonate with many people who are also affected and possibly finding it difficult to see a way out of their situation.

“I was looking at myself, taking myself apart. My stomach, you know, my arms, my chin, anything – I would obsess over.”

Camila Mendes, Cybersmiler of the Month

Having become a mainstream icon following the success of Riverdale, Camila Mendes, like many Hollywood actresses, has to balance public and private life, and all the difficulties that go with it, especially when it comes to managing one’s mental health.

After recognizing that she had irrational fears about certain food groups, she went to seek help, and thankfully was able to re-introduce food that she had previously feared with the help of a nutritionist.

Social media use and comparison culture can play a big part in people’s self-confidence and how they perceive their own bodies. Our Digital Wellbeing 2022 report highlighted a number of themes with concerning statistics related to the effect that connected technology and social media use is having on the physical and mental wellbeing of Gen Z.

Key findings from our Digital Wellbeing 2022 report 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.

Thanks to her courage in opening up about her personal struggles, Camila has encouraged millions of her her own fans and many more young people around the world to consider seeking help for their own issues with body image, mental health and disordered eating.

We want to thank Camila for being so honest about these struggles and all the work she is doing to break down stigma associated with body image and mental health problems. We think Camila is a total inspiration and is definitely a true Cybersmiler of the Month!

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:

What are your thoughts on Camila opening up about this issue? Let us know by contacting us or tweet us @CybersmileHQ.