Delaney Ruth
delaneyruth18@gmail.com
In this day and age, we consume pictures and videos on the internet every day. When we see a picture or video, we tend to believe it is the absolute truth and that it has not been manipulated, but this is not always true. People today don't realize how easy it is to change a photo in Photoshop or take a video out of context and post it on Twitter. It happens far too often, and it can be hard to tell when an image or video if manipulated.
When I think of manipulated images, I immediately think of social media influencers that change their bodies or faces on apps to make themselves look better. Not only is this unethical, but it can be detrimental to young boys and girls that look at these images. They see an image of someone who is famous on Instagram and believe that they must look like that to be beautiful and successful. In an article the BBC wrote about how many women compare their bodies negatively to celebrities. It's scary to think about all the young adults that have an unhealthy relationship with their bodies because all they see on social media are people who look perfect. They don't realize that this is not reality; this is not what the majority of people look like.
An example of this is Madison Beer. Beer constantly speaks out about how she doesn't edit or body and how she has not had any plastic surgery, but when you look at photos of her from a few years ago, it is clear she has altered her looks a bit. The above picture shows Beer in two different images in the same day: one she posted on social media and one taken while she was being interviewed. It is clear that Beer posed herself and possibly edited the picture to make her look skinnier and tanner.
The good thing is, not all social media influencers edit their bodies or try to make themselves look perfect. A good example of this is HGTV's Good Bones star Mina Starsiak. Starsiak recently had a baby and candidly showed postpartum photos of herself just six days after giving birth. She first shows a photo of herself posed to look like she has no post-baby belly. In the next photos, she shows what her stomach really looks like. Starsiak is even wearing an adult diaper in the photos to show what it is truly like to have a baby and how your body reacts. She shows that it is okay to not be skinny and perfect all the time.
It is easy to see how young people can be affected by social media and altered videos and images, but also know that not every person on Instagram is trying to be perfect at all times. There are so many social media influencers that can have a positive effect on today's youth, like the 33 Instagram accounts published in this Insider article.
While it can be hard to navigate social media without feeling negative, just know that not everyone tries to be perfect all the time. It is okay to have flaws. Be proud of your body and all that it does for you.
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