In what should come as no surprise to anyone, it turns out that 18 months of on-again, off-again lockdowns has given adults plenty of time to obsess over their appearances — and it’s wreaked havoc on our self-esteem.
In the past year, there have been countless studies covering the various ways the pandemic has touched all aspects of our lives, from work and friendship to love and sex. Now, according to a recent survey from the dating app Bumble, research also extends to how we feel about our physical appearances.
More than half of adults surveyed (58 per cent) of all genders, are more worried about how they look now compared to the start of 2020. These feelings are undoubtedly drawn from the fact that, for many of us, work- and social-related video calls took precedence over physical activities and social excursions.
Related: Forget body positivity, here’s why body neutrality is where it’s at.
The study also noted that more than half of survey respondents admitted they would cancel a date due to feelings of insecurity about their bodies. The supposed “summer of love” (or “hot vax summer”) that many predicted has arguably been turned on its head with COVID cases continuing to fluctuate across North America and with single people shying away from dating due to insecurities.
“The pandemic has been a difficult time for us all, [with] more time to reflect on ourselves and be self-critical,” sex and relationships specialist Dr. Caroline West told Metro. “This may have contributed to increased feelings of anxiety when it comes to meeting new people and can leave some lacking confidence.”
Earlier in the year, Bumble started banning members who used body-shaming language in their private conversations or on their profiles. Barriers have also been put in place to combat racism, homophobia and sexism.
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