Social Media: Does Social Media Create Impossible Standards Of Beauty?

For many years now, the mainstream media has been criticized for editing pictures, and this is because of the effect this has on women. 

When they see these images, they are often unaware of what has been done, and they can come to believe that what they see is normal.

If they were able to see the images and to realize what has taken place, this wouldn’t be the case. 

This would then allow them to see that the images don’t actually reflect reality, and this would stop them from experiencing the same amount of pressure.

Self-esteem

A woman’s appearance plays a big role in how she feels about herself, and this is why it is so important for them to see images that reflect reality. All the time they are seeing images that have nothing to do with what ‘real’ women look like, it is going to cause them to suffer.

Yet, no matter what a woman looks like, she is not going to match up with an image that has been severely edited. As a result of this, they can end up feeling as though they are not enough.

Hopeless

It is then not going to be possible for her to accept herself as she is, and she could end up feeling hopeless. 

This is not to say that she will ignore her appearance; as she may do everything she can to try to look perfect.

Her actions are going to be motivated by her need to be enough as opposed to her wanting to take care of her appearance. 

And even if the people around her show their approval, it might not be possible for her to accept it, and this is because of the fact that she is hiding who she really is.

A Normal Image

If the images in the media were not edited, it would make it easier for women to accept their appearance. They would come to see that perfection doesn’t exist, and while the images they see in the media would still have an effect, it wouldn’t be the same.

The images they see could be used as inspiration, but they not necessarily going to come to the conclusion that they are missing something. And if they compare their appearance with the people they see, it might to have the same effect on their self-esteem.

Comparison

One reason for this is that they will be comparing themselves with people who reflect reality as opposed to people who represent an illusion. This will allow them to see that although they look different to the people in the images, it is not because the people in the images are perfect.

It simply comes down to the fact that they have a different look, and this will make it easier for them to embrace their own uniqueness. And if the images were not edited, it would also give someone the chance to see that there are many different looks.

Celebrating Diversity

Whereas, when someone only sees images that have been edited, it will be normal for them to believe that there are only a certain number of looks that are acceptable. Being different is then not something to be celebrated, it is something to be ashamed of.

When being different is celebrated, it will be a lot easier for someone to value who they are, and their need to buy things in order to change their appearance would also start to decrease. 

And when people do give them approval, they would know it is for who they are as opposed to the person they are trying to be.

The Modern Day World

However, in today’s world a woman no longer needs to look at an image that has been edited by the mainstream media in order to be deceived; they only need to use social media. 

This is because people are now editing their pictures in the same way that the media edits pictures.

They don’t need to know how to use a specialized editing program, and this is because the apps that are available are easy to use. In the past, they would have been the ones who were being deceived, and now they can be the ones who are deceiving others.

Maintaining the Illusion

If someone has a picture that doesn’t meet their standards, they can use an app to completely transform the image. This may then allow them to receive more positive feedback than they would have done if they had uploaded the original image.

On one side, this will allow them to feel good about themselves, but on the other side, it may cause other people to feel bad about themselves. The reason for this is that while other people may realise what has happened, there is also the chance that they will believe that the picture is an accurate reflection of the other person.

Impossible Standards

Nevertheless, regardless of whether someone is editing their pictures or not, they are still being exposed to images that don’t reflect reality. And even if they don’t consciously think about what is taking place, it can still effect them at a deeper level.

This can then cause them to develop impossible standards when it comes to beauty, and this can make it even harder them to accept themselves. 

And while someone can edit their pictures on social media, they are not going to be able to edit themselves in the same way when it comes to the real world.

Further To Fall

The more one edits their pictures on social media, the harder it is going to be for them to accept themselves. This is because their appearance is always going to fall short when they compare it to the images that they have edited.

Therefore, the feedback they receive on social media is going to be overshadowed by the fact that they are hiding who they really are. And even though they are getting positive feedback, it is only for the image that they have presented and for how they really look like.

Making Things Worse

If someone found it hard to believe that other people would accept them before they edited their pictures, they may find that it is even harder for them believe that other people will accept after they have edited their pictures. 

This is because through editing their pictures, they have increased their chances of being rejected by others.

The reason for this is that when other people meet them in real life, they are not going to be meeting the same person. 

As a result of this, it might not matter what they are like, and this may cause them even more problems.

Conclusion

To say that one shouldn’t edit their pictures might be going a bit far; but there is a difference between making minor changes and making major changes. And if someone wants to accept themselves, it will be healthier for them to cut back on how much they edit their pictures.

Through doing this, the feedback they receive will be for who they are, and when people meet them in the real world, they won’t be meeting someone else. This will make it a lot easier for someone to feel comfortable in their own skin.