Growing up in the generation of social media is not easy. Children are surrounded by unrealistic beauty standards and poor influences enforcing ideas that will only have a negative impact on aging minds. 

  The power of social media is mind-boggling. Almost anyone can become instantaneously famous without putting any effort in. It’s dangerous giving platforms to people who don’t deserve them, for they can share very harmful ideas or views. Having positive influencers on social media is vital, to both disband false information and create positivity in a world filled with so much hate.  Melissa Viviane Jefferson, commonly referred to as Lizzo, is a celebrity who has mastered this art. Lizzo is a singer, rapper, flutist, and songwriter, but she is also an inspiration to people all around the world. 

  Lizzo’s young life

  Music has always been a constant in Lizzo’s life. 

  She grew up with a melody flowing through her veins and a song beating in her heart. Although she was originally born in Detroit, Michigan on April 27th, 1988, her family moved  to Houston, Texas ten years after. 

  Melissa began taking flute lessons at age ten, which she continued to craft through highschool, where she also found a love for rap. 

  Music continued in her life when she and her friends created a band called Cornrow Clique. In this same group, Melissa became Lizzo, and she started to discover her true musical talent within. 

  Lizzo even went on to study classical music with a concentration on flute at the University of Houston. Lizzo’s father died a few years later, leaving her struggling and living out of her car. However, she didn’t let the hard times bring her down; instead, she grew her music career and moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota. Lizzo performed with multiple singing groups, released a debut album, opened for performers in concert, and began to make her own music. 

  Lizzo’s stance on body positivity

  The little 10 year old flute player is now a global icon. Lizzo’s  music has taken off and she uses it, along with her platform, to build up the confidence of her fans around the world. 

  Lizzo is constantly preaching body positivity. “I love creating shapes with my body, and I love normalizing the dimples in my butt or the lumps in my thighs or my back fat or my stretch marks. I love normalizing my black-a** elbows. I think it’s beautiful,” Lizzo said to Essence.

  Lizzo has taken steps to normalize every “imperfection” a body can have with her social media use and her music. She helps her fans and followers understand that their body is the only body they get; everyone needs to love themselves for who they are. 

  Photoshop is an app that has been popularized by influencers today. People take pictures for social media, but before sharing them, they edit out their dimples or lumps or stretch marks:whatever makes them insecure. 

  Although photoshop may seem appealing in the sense that someone can make themselves look however they want, it’s a terrible idea that warps reality. If someone sees an influencer post a flawless picture that is actually fake, they believe that this beauty is attainable. Instead of promoting any sort of positivity, this urges viewers to change their appearance, creating unrealistic beauty standards and spiking insecurities. Why should children grow up this way?

  Lizzo provides an example of someone who is 100% real. “I have nothing to hide. There’s no shame anymore. I just post myself. It’s like, you take me as I am. You don’t have to love me,” Lizzo reported to her Instagram followers. If all celebrities had this mindset, I am confident that there would be a huge decrease in insecurities that lead to many not taking care of their body. Lizzo, on the other hand, promotes healthy eating (as she is a vegan) and shares videos of her making smoothies and other nutritious meals. Not only does she teach the public to love their bodies but to take care of their bodies as well.

 Lizzo’s charity work  

  Lizzo also donates huge amounts of money to pro-choice organizations to fight for women’s rights. “I’m pledging $500k from my upcoming tour to Planned Parenthood and Abortion Rights. Live Nation agreed to match— to make it 1 MILLION dollars,” Lizzo tweeted. 

  After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Lizzo took immediate action. This is huge for women all around the world. Having a popular celebrity support and speak up for women’s rights is extremely valuable. Lizzo continues to make the world a better place every day. 

  My experience seeing Lizzo’s concert

  I had the honor of seeing Lizzo in concert on September 29th, 2022. This concert was the most amazing concert I have ever seen. 

  It left my head spinning afterwards; I couldn’t stop talking or thinking about it. The main thing I couldn’t get over was how real the concert was. Normally concerts are fun, but the performer seems very rehearsed since they have done this show multiple times. Even though Lizzo has been performing her whole life, her concert felt so personal and special.   

  Having this ability to connect with her fans is another amazing thing about her. Lizzo doesn’t only advocate for positivity; she makes every single one of her fans feel loved.