Nowadays, it’s more obvious than ever that social media has significantly grown in the past few years. There are various social media sites, where people began posting pictures of themselves, taken with the best cameras, such as Instagram. But is it just the camera or just a fortunate angle? Sadly, in some cases, it’s neither. People alter their bodies and try to be different. How? Well, they use Photoshop and other apps in order to change something about their appearance. So let’s tackle this issue and learn how to accept ourselves.
Is the existence of Photoshop the core problem?
Well, an app is an app. And, to avoid the somehow meaningless tautology, it means that its existence isn’t a problem. The core problem is how people use Photoshop to alter normal things such as cellulite or stretch marks. There’s so much pressure on us people to look perfect and flawless, that we stopped loving our bodies to the fullest.
This has existed since forever: celebrities who pose for certain magazines use Photoshop to hide their flaws. And, to make matters worse, those magazines directly promote those fake beauty standards. Some celebrities promote weird, sketchy workouts or diets they “abide by” and these have a bad effect on people worldwide.
The growing number of Instagram influencers also affect this. Most of them rely on Photoshop and other similar programs to improve their feed. A lot of people look at these photos and say: “I wish I looked like that…” or “I wish my life was so perfect…”. So, they have this unrealistic image of how things should be and aren’t being themselves anymore. Moreover, the fact that famous people do this dictates the course of “the ideal body”, which is not okay! Those people don’t even have the ideal body they promote, which makes me so mad. How many people have done obsessive changes to their body, both real and with Photoshop? Way too many! This has to stop!
Raising awareness
More and more people started posting “Instagram vs Reality” posts, in which people show the edited picture near the original one. Most of the times, the results are shocking and these types of comparisons made many people realise that influencers are people just like us, with flaws and imperfections. We shouldn’t be so hard on ourselves. If you ask me, these photos gave me confidence, because I used to be extremely insecure. I wondered: “How do these people stay perfect and fit all the time?”. Most of the times, it’s Photoshop.
One of the videos that caught my eye a while ago is the one made by the youtuber Ethan Klein (h3h3Productions). He basically highlighted with pictures and humour everything I’m trying to say in this article and I think you should all watch it. It will give you a different perspective and you will be more confident.
Accepting yourself
If you have a hard time accepting your flaws to the point where you want to hide them, do something about this! Think of this: You shouldn’t adjust yourself to some standards which are dictated by today’s society. Be real, be you! If you keep using these apps, you won’t recognize yourself in the mirror and the impact will be worse. Embrace your beauty, you look good regardless! Everyone has pimples, moles, cellulite, belly fat or stretch marks! These things are normal and we shouldn’t be forced to think that they’re not. Ironically, by some people who also have these.
Photoshop and Instagram shouldn’t be role models. Photoshop shouldn’t be used like this. We should stop these games. We should stop hiding ourselves. The real “you” is much better than a Photoshop, doll-like version. Be you, be unique!
