A woman called out Walmart for potentially giving little girls body image issues with its mirrors. Was that really the store’s intention?
Girls and young women are constantly exposed to an ever-changing (and usually unattainable) beauty standard that tells them they aren’t enough and tries to sell them the solution for beauty.
While this has been happening for centuries, it’s only gotten worse with the exposure to social media and a never-ending trend cycle.
In a trending video, which has more than 34,000 views, Jennifer DeJordy accuses Walmart of only making this issue worse for the girls shopping for clothes in their stores.
What happened?
In the TikTok, DeJordy says she was shopping in Walmart and noticed the store had mirrors with affirmations on them, like “I am kind,” “I am strong,” and “I am courageous.”
“Awww, these mirrors are super cute,” DeJordy says.
But then when she steps into it, it’s like DeJordy is in a circus mirror, exaggerating her proportions. And it’s clearly an issue with that mirror because she steps into another one just a few feet away and looks true to reality.
“Are we trying to cause little girls to have body [dysmorphia]!!” DeJordy asks in the text overlay.
“I am livid at this! Why make the ‘fun house’ mirror with afformations and then place it in the little girls section!!!” she added in the caption.
@jenniferdejordy I am livid at this! Why make the “fun house” mirror with afformations and then place it in the little girls section!!! #fyp #walmart #protectourchildren #shaming ♬ original sound – Jenniferdejordy
What is body dysmorphia?
Body dysmorphia is a mental health condition that causes you to perceive your body differently from how it looks in reality and hyper-fixate on flaws that are minor or invisible to others, according to the Mayo Clinic.
A person with body dysmorphia is often preoccupied with the way they look and has excessive thoughts about their appearance. They may think that their body is bigger than it actually is or can’t stop looking at a specific facial feature (like their nose or completion) that they’re not happy with.
While often misdiagnosed, body dysmorphia is related to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), WebMD stated.
The disorder can affect anyone, but it often begins in the teen years or early adulthood. Both men and women get it, but the numbers tend to be slightly higher in the United States for women.
Traumatic events, emotional conflict (like bullying), low self-esteem, and overly critical parents are common triggers for body dysmorphia, according to WebMD.
Body dysmorphia doesn’t tend to go away on its own; it needs guidance from a mental health professional. When left untreated, a person’s body dysmorphia can worsen, leading to anxiety, severe depression, and even suicidal thoughts and behavior.
Warped mirrors as a treatment
Warped mirrors, like the ones you’d find in a carnival, are one tool actually used to treat body dysmorphia.
However, we doubt Walmart was trying to fight body dysmorphia with its warped mirrors.
Over time, if a person can learn to control their anxiety when looking at an actually warped version of themselves, it helps build their ability to accept the imperfections on their body and reduce perfectionist thinking, according to a study by the Westwood Institute for Anxiety Disorders.
Commenters react
“It’s probably just warped mirrors it Walmart,” the top comment read.
“They are cheep plastic one, you can see ware the fold lines in the mirror,” a person pointed out.
“Yeah that’s not cool to have it should be regular,” another wrote.
The Daily Dot reached out to DeJordy for comment via TikTok direct message and comment and to Walmart via email.
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