This is the smiley and radiant image that got 19-year-old Samm Newman banned from Instagram.
The image didn’t get Newman banned because it was hateful. Or violent. Not because it was pornographic, or contained nudity, or was graphic in nature.
This selfie was banned because Miss Newman happens to be, *gasp*, overweight. As an Australian size 28, she “violated community standards” on Instagram with her body. More so, by daring to expose it.
According to US news outlet NCC41, Newman was erased from her friends feeds because she dared to deviate from the glamorous ‘norm.’
Co-incidentally, these selfies remain up on Instagram:
Rightly so – Newman was pretty ticked off about the Instagram ban.
This from The Gloss:
Samm, who is a size 24, claims that she used her Instagram account to promote body positivity. She was previously bullied because of her size and used to self-harm, but found a supportive community online, who boosted her self-esteem. Samm described her Instagram account as being “my safe place because when I was there, I could share anything.”
Samm posted her selfies because they helped her feel more confident, and she wanted to promote acceptance of all body shapes and sizes:
“Fat is not a bad word,” she told NCC41. “How confident can you be if you keep censoring yourself because people don’t want to look at you?’
“I didn’t find [the briefs] or the bra at all inappropriate,” she said. “They covered me entirely and I’ve seen pictures like that all over Instagram.”
It’s a damn good point. Semi-naked pictures are all over the site, despite their community guidelines stating nudity is not allowed.
Social media should be for everyone, not a one-size only place. Memo to Instagram: we’re not all flawless. Neither is real life.
When images like this, of mothers breastfeeding, or of women’s pubic hair, are banned- aren’t we essentially just censoring reality? Isn’t this selective removal what’s causing women to forget they’re ok just the way they are?
Though her account has now been reactivated with Instagram calling its deletion a simple ‘mistake,’ Newman has pledged to continue to “make a difference in the world”.
By making Instagram reconsider what type of bodies they deem ‘acceptable’ we reckon she’s already one step closer to being there.
Keep the selfies comin’ Samm.
Top Comments
Unhealthy is unhealthy. Super skinny or obese. If an obese person chooses to celebrate their obesity well I guess thats their choice. But then they shouldnt harp on other, healthier body types either. People who are severely underweight are just as "offensive" in my opinion as obese people. Its all a cry for attention. Normal people (mentally not physically) dont put pics of their body on social media and demand people accept them. Pics at the beach sure. Half naked selfies in the bathroom. Um no.
If this woman just put pics of herself in a bikini playing with her family on the beach we wouldnt be having this conversation
It cuts both ways. Some 6 years ago, I was a decipal of the low carb lifestyle and joined such a forum. Most members were in it to lose weight, I wanted to bulk up, without fattening up. I posted some progress pics, in all of which I had on a bikini. Nobody says boo when a formerly overweight woman posts a "wow, look at me now" shot in a bikini, so I thought nothing of it. Some months later, someone made a coment about my bikini shots implying superficiality on my part. Some people seem to think that just because someone might look like a model, s/he is bullet proof, which is often not the case.
No, there is nothing healthy about being overweight, particularly when carries much of it around the middle. Diabetes and heart disease spring to mind. Nothing healthy about tanning, or taking drugs to lose weight either. Self-acceptance is a wonderful thing, but truly loving oneself is to take care of the precious, wonderful body we have all been given.