Emily Ratjkowski claims social media beauty ideals are ‘toxic’

She boasts one of the highest follower counts in the world— but model Emily Ratjkowski claims social media is “toxic” because of the beauty ideals being sold to users.

Looking at Emily Ratjkowski, you wouldn’t think the model most recently linked to Brad Pitt would need any help with body image or self-love.

But the model and author fronted Sydney’s BODfest yesterday, appearing virtually from New York for the 750-strong crowd to talk about the exploitation of women’s bodies for profit and entertainment.

She described social media as toxic, saying content-hungry consumers were being sold an idea of beauty that didn’t exist, with models daily fodder for the masses.

“I really loved using Instagram because it felt like the only time I could curate and dictate how I was being perceived and seen in the world,” she told Sunday Confidential.

“When you’re a model, you are giving that up to other people. You have no control over your images, how they do your hair and makeup or what pictures they choose.”

Top model Emily Ratjkowski spoke at BODFEST from New York City.

“Obviously, social media is incredibly toxic ... Instagram was all curation and all glossy images, even when they were meant to present us something else ... it’s not easy to be inundated with all these images and being sold an idea of beauty.”

Ratjkowski spoke alongside other personalities

like Carla from Bankstown (pictured) and Brooke Blurton.

She grew up in a little town called Encinitas in California - a place, she says, where a lot of Australians lived.

“So I had a kinship to the culture, particularly around surf and skate boarding.”

Ratjkowski joined Carla From Bankstown and Brooke Blurton at the one-day body positivity and self-love festival.