The Australian Influencer Marketing Council (AiMCO) is set to host a webinar on social media responsibility for influencers on International Youth Day, August 12. The webinar will delve into the impact of social media on young people's body image, a topic of increasing concern in the digital age.

Research has revealed a strong correlation between social media content and negative body image. Global studies have highlighted an 'alarming and plausible' link between an increase in eating disorders and negative body image for young people on social media. The upcoming webinar aims to address these issues, with a focus on the role of influencers.

Guest speakers for the webinar include Gemma Sharp, an Associate Professor at Monash University and a senior clinical psychologist, and Penny Shell, Chief Strategy and Product Officer for Zenith Media. Sharp will provide evidence-based strategies to promote a more positive social media environment and improve the user experience. Shell will discuss practical media actions and best practice content ratios and behaviours.

Sharp is the head of the Body Image and Eating Disorders Research Program at Monash University and leads the International Consortium for Research in Eating Disorders. Shell is an award-winning strategist who has been leading a media industry social media responsibility initiative for positive actions on teen body image for the past 12 months.

AiMCO's series of webinars this year have covered topics such as safe mental health content, influencer agreements, and inclusivity and diversity in the industry.

AiMCO Managing Director, Patrick Whitnall, said: "Influencers have a responsibility to be good digital citizens. The power of content creators and influencers produce cannot be underestimated, particularly among young people, so it’s important that our creators have a thorough understanding of the impact of their content on body image and self-esteem. Our focus is on giving our influencer community the tools to build more responsible social media platforms and to be leaders in this space, creating positive, empowering content for young Australians."