A thin waistline, long legs, big eyes, and an all-in-all alluring image — social media pressures us to look our best when we post photos. And there are apps that are ready to help in our quest for perfection with their photo editor tools. In reality, this activity can hide way more serious things that are connected to mental health and self-perception.
ViralSection researched this topic and came to the conclusion that pre-editing photos before posting has a way more complicated impact on us than we realize. It’s time to learn more about this!
Editing photos has become a trend.
Photoshopping pictures before posting them on a social media has become a common thing among celebrities and normal users. At a first glance, this innocent action might seem like a simple wish to enhance a look and appear our very best. But in reality, insecurity, body image issues, and depressive states can be hiding behind all of this.
Taking selfies is a mood-lowering activity.
© pixabay.com
It turns out that taking selfies is considered an activity that can make people feel low and discouraged. Social media increases the focus on our appearance, and it especially influences young women. A good selfie is a great tool to make a good impression on people around the internet.
Young women tend to post more photos of themselves than anyone else. It was found that after taking a bunch of selfies, ladies might feel anxious and lose their self-confidence. Also, some of them might feel less attractive after posting their selfie online.
People want to be perfect.
We don’t need to be professionals to use a retouching program — apps with a built-in filter will get all the work done for us. Some of them are funny and rather entertaining to use. Some of them literally change our facial features beyond recognition. And when we put all this effort into seeming flawless and irresistible in others’ eyes, we completely forget about our true beauty.
The issue behind enhancing your photos is serious.
Editing photos before posting can be influenced by a feeling of insecurity and dissatisfaction with yourself. There are different types of discontent — like being over- or underweight, our body shape, our skin, our hair, or any other thing on our body that we don’t find beautiful enough. And these feelings can be worsened by simply scrolling the amazing photos of others, which have probably also been photoshopped to perfection.
Even lots of likes under a freshly posted photo with a filter might not bring much happiness to those who already feel uncomfortable with themselves. It can only push them to post more edited photos to support their ideal image, but in reality it just causes more intense anxiety.
There are mental health consequences.
It is important to mention that social media doesn’t necessarily cause low self-esteem and mental disorders, but it can push us closer to them. If you already compare yourself a lot to others and if you are unhappy with yourself, you might have a tendency to do it even more on platforms like Instagram or Facebook. This can only worsen the situation and won’t bring you any happiness after all.
It’s always better to focus on yourself rather than on others.
© depositphotos.com
It might be that sometimes it’s better to close the app and try to get distracted by something else. Find yourself a new fascinating activity or hobby that will take up your free time and distract you from those images. After all, long-term happiness is not built inside social media platforms, but instead with our own hands.
How often do you post on social media? Do you also edit your photos before uploading them? Do you agree with the points mentioned in this article? Let’s discuss in the comment section!
Preview photo credit kyliejenner / instagram
