The positive side: community, socialization and diversity

Children and adolescents have been one of the biggest losers of confinement. "At a vital moment where the most important thing for them is to socialize", the world stopped due to the coronavirus and classes began to be given online. The only way they had to interact with their peers was through the Internet and social networks, which, according to Penella, have been "the main connection tool." Specifically, in 2020 children increased their use by 76%. But Instagram, Facebook or Tik Tok do not only serve as support during pandemics.

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— Grant Thomas 🧢 Mon Oct 07 22:19:00 +0000 2019

For Alicia Durán, curvy model, influencer and youtuber, platforms like Instagram have helped her find her place “in society”. “When you're 13, which was the worst age for me, it's hard to figure out your place in the world,” she says. “Finding people like me, who were passionate about fashion and who were plus size, I thought it was wonderful”, it was that sense of community that helped him see life “in a different way”.

Thanks to the networks, the young woman knew "that I had the possibility to exist, to show my body and to dedicate myself to what I'm passionate about." “They allowed me to see the diversity that I was looking for”, because “I spent many years of my adolescence thinking that my body was a problem”. Perhaps even if he had found these friends and role models earlier, it would have helped him "not feel like a weirdo who didn't fit in" for quite some time, he confesses.