One of today's most popular apps is Instagram. With 800 million active users, 68% of users are female and 59% of users are 18-29. Women scroll through their timeline and see pictures of models and celebrities photoshopped in unrealistic ways. Many want to achieve this desirable look of an hourglass figure that is constantly seen on Instagram when most of the time it is not what anyone looks like in real-life. There are many examples of celebrities editing their bodies and posting pictures to the app for girls to see.
These are only some pictures that celebrities have been caught in the act of their photoshop. Imagine the thousands of other altered photos on Instagram that have unnoticeable editing. When celebrities alter their photos, it gives girls an unrealistic hope they can achieve this look and girls may develop eating disorders and low self-esteem when trying to do so. Eating disorders are a very serious illness and have the highest mortality rate among all mental illnesses. In their lifetime, 0.9% of women will struggle with anorexia, 1.5% of women will struggle with bulimia, and 3.5% of women will struggle with binge eating.
Instead of photoshopping out our flaws, we should be promoting and making them more acceptable in society. Some celebrities are beginning to do so. Demi Lovato has a history of self-harm and disordered eating. Trying to overcome an insecurity that many girls face, she posted this photo on Instagram with the caption as, "I don't have a thigh gap and I'm still beautiful the way I am. #recovery#selflove #EVERYbodyisbeautiful"
P!nk has also been involved in promoting self-love by posting this picture and writing the caption as, "Would you believe I'm 160 pounds and 5'3"? By 'regular standards' that makes me obese. I know I'm not at my goal or anywhere near it after Baby 2 but dammit I don't feel obese. The only thing I'm feeling is myself. Stay off that scale ladies! #feelingmyself #strongismygoal #bodygoals@msjeanettejenkins #happysaturday#getitin #GIJaneismyWCW"
Ashley Graham is a model with a body positive platform. She defies the normal model body type of extremely slender. Ashley Graham believes women of all shapes and sizes are beautiful and wants to promote the idea that we should love ourselves no matter what we look like. While most people would not post a picture like this, Ashley finds no problem showing that she has a little bit of cellulite because it's not what is on the outside that matters, but what is on the inside.
With celebrities posting more body positive images, it encourages women to be more confident in their bodies. It teaches women that you don't have to weigh or look a certain way to be beautiful. While this is a great start to promoting being comfortable in your own skin, the more celebrities who do this, the more women will see that beauty is more than skin deep.
Work Cited:
http://www.thisisinsider.com/celebrity-photoshop-fail-instagram-social-media-2017-5
https://www.omnicoreagency.com/instagram-statistics/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BS2TBEalBWi/?hl=en&taken-by=ddlovato
https://www.instagram.com/p/BSWhmL5F0EQ/?hl=en&taken-by=pink
https://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/information/statistics-studies
I agree in that I think it's really inspiring that celebrities are starting to promote self love and self worth. When it comes down to it, younger girls look up to these women and once they see them loving everything about themselves, the younger generation will too.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree that this in an issue and photoshop makes men believe that every women should have perfect bodies but that is almost never true. All of the pictures of celebraties are either photoshoped or have some filter on it.
ReplyDeleteYES! This is such an important topic. Instagram can be highly insidious when you start comparing yourself to unrealistic images. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI agree with this when people see on Instagram of famous people who they might look up too and seeing how perfect their body is when it isn't even real can hurt peoples confidence. Especially when the expectations are not possible.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is really stupid how people on Instagram make such a great effort just to get the perfect video or the perfect picture, giving a false reality, a reality that other people wants to be a part of, a reality that causes other people to feel less than others. There is nothing more beautiful than authenticity.
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