The Small Algorithm: When Body Pressure Becomes a Commodity

It only takes a few minutes. A young girl creates a profile on social media – and immediately the screen is filled with workout tips, makeup videos and unrealistic body ideals. The algorithms do their job: they pick up on insecurity, and amplify it. But what does that do to us?

The numbers speak for themselves

The Nordic Women Report* shows a serious picture:

• 42% of Nordic women are often critical of how their bodies look.
• Only 12% are proud of their body, and only 21% feel confident in it.
• 26% feel that they do not fit into the prevailing body ideal.
• As many as 8 out of 10 women between the ages of 18 and 45 feel negatively influenced by beauty and body ideals.
• 7 out of 10 want to see more natural bodies in their social media feeds.

– These are not small numbers. This is a collective cry for change, says Ingeborg Heldal, editor-in-chief of KK.

A Nordic showdown with the algorithms

For the first time, KK in Norway, Femina in Sweden and Femina in Denmark have joined forces in a joint campaign: The Small Algorithm . The goal is to hold tech giants accountable for how young girls are exposed digitally.

- We must speak out loudly that social media has a responsibility for the content on their platforms – especially the content that appeals to young users. Therefore, we urge the tech giants to follow their own guidelines and remove harmful content about, among other things, drastic weight loss. The insecurity of young girls and women is not a commodity, but a shared responsibility. That is why we are raising our voices now – for the next generation, says Tine Brødegaard Hansen, editor-in-chief of Femina in Denmark.

When uncertainty becomes content

Experts that the editors have spoken to, and who encounter girls with eating disorders and self-harm on a daily basis, point to a clear connection: the content that spreads on social media affects young people's mental health.

– When algorithms reward extreme dieting and unrealistic ideals, uncertainty becomes a currency – and young lives pay the price, says Ingeborg Heldal.

A campaign for safety and diversity

The small algorithm is not just about criticism. It is about hope – about creating a digital space where young girls can see diversity, naturalness, and strength, not just narrow ideals.

“We need platforms that build security, not insecurity. We need algorithms that promote diversity, not narrowness. And we need to protect the next generation from a digital environment that undermines self-esteem,” says Malin Roos, editor-in-chief of Femina in Sweden.

The voices that cannot be ignored

When 8 out of 10 women are tired of society's fixation on appearance, and when so many are actively working to accept their bodies, it is a clear signal: the time has come to demand responsibility.

– The next generation deserves better. Now we raise our voices, say the editors.