sagallimore 
Social Media without a doubt positively influences our lives in so many ways. Through it, we are more connected and given a platform to advocate for our own values and beliefs. We also have the opportunity for networking across the world. Social Media has recently been responsible for women empowerment movements and body love accounts. This is great and I’m so happy our society is moving closer to this ideal! Although, through the lens of body image, as a consumer and producer of social media content, we should take a closer look at how it may be affecting our lives.
So, when we take a look at the media through the years: magazines, movies, ad campaigns, you name it, we have been taught to not trust the girl in the photo and how she is presented. We have been recently introduced to the idea that editing and photoshop are, in most cases, what is being used to create these imperfection- free images. Now that we are aware that this is widely the case, we are more inclined to disregard those images that still remain plastered all over the popular media outlets. In response we have learned to carry a new confidence in the wake of “real bodies” becoming more accepted. Although we are walking away from being defined by the self esteem obliterating mainstream media, we are walking into even deeper issues that are constructed by the social media platforms. We are looking at instagram, facebook, and pinterest with a more critical eye than we ever used before. Wanna know why? Social media gives off the illusion of being unedited, candid shots that depict reality in a person’s life. This false reality is what makes social media, more than any other type of media, a breeding ground for self esteem issues. The recent development of instagram influencers has made it even harder to draw the line of what is “normal” and “paid to have hair, make up, and editing done” on each of their posts.
Now it’s important to highlight the fact that this false candidness is multidimensional and doesn’t only apply to looks and the editing of photos to “look better”. It applies to many other facets of our lives as well such as career, family life, physical health, the list goes on . It affects how we feel about our own accomplishments and whether we have done enough to stay in competition with other individuals. Basically, we are always seeing everyone else’s best days but don’t end up seeing what’s going on behind the false reality reel.
After years of comparing my body and myself to these images, it quickly became tiresome as I did everything I could to look like the girl in the picture. After reaching and struggling for that goal, that I finally accepted was never going to happen, I met face to face with the true reality of social media culture. The true reality here is the majority of what you see when you pull up your instagram feed on a Monday morning is anything put candid. There are filters, angle tricks, lighting hacks and even photoshop that help people optimize themselves. Now trust me, I’m just as guilty of it as any else. I love a good lightroom filter. I’m not preaching to stop but how can we possibly look at these photos and trust anyone that their hair looks that good fresh wake up? We can’t and I know I don’t anymore. It’s made it so much easier to scroll through the feed less hurt every time I see a fit girl with toned abs that I know what I’m seeing is simply a feed full of highlights. As a consumer of social media content, if you are aware that the photos are indeed not simple snapshots but rather thoroughly executed content to reach an intended purpose, then you can more confidently scroll away from that content, self esteem less harmed. It’s all about the mindset you bring to the highlight reel that can change how you feel.
Contact Me and tell me how you feel about social media!
