As the growth of social media and blogging continues to grow, and as someone who is a newbie blogger, I can’t help but think about the way we portray ourselves and see others online. This is at the constant forefront for some of us and I totally get it. It’s hard to not over-criticize how we look in the photos we take, compare ourselves to others or feel some sort of anxiety when we post a photo. It’s not that I didn’t feel these things prior to starting a blog, I just wasn’t that active on my personal social media page. But now that I’ve chosen to be active, it’s important that I practice my beliefs and keep my anxieties and self-doubt in check. I hope I can make noise to the fact that as bloggers we have the opportunity to help change the social media game by saying no to altering our bodies and faces through photo editing.

 Like I said, I totally get it and I can definitely relate. When my face is blown up on a screen, I go straight to the dark circles under my eyes or my crooked teeth or the outline of my stomach or the cellulite in my butt. The list can go on and on and I’m sure I’m not the only one but we have to tell ourselves: “I have no desire to alter my body to conform with societies standards of beauty. I have no desire to change my body so others will see it as more appealing.” As women we have to focus on the aspects we love about ourselves, and I know that’s not easy, but it’s crucial for our own mental health, self-love, self-confidence and the youth that follow us.

Effects on Youth

I don’t think it’s new for someone to call out how bad photo editing (and it’s extremes) is for our own self-esteem. As adults who know what it was like to not have Instagram or other forms of social media, it may be slightly easier for us to understand that the pictures we see are altered, and to be able to reassure ourselves of our own natural beauty and self-love. But what about the kids who are just getting into social media or reading magazines, and looking at the women they see as role models? They are seeing a distorted view of beauty right off the bat and they are more likely to be influenced to strive for the same unobtainable beauty standards.

 When we think of brands that are actively trying to educate and push movements of self-love and natural beauty in media, we think of Aerie’s Real Campaign and Dove’s Real Beauty Campaign. Dove also has their Self-Esteem Project which was created “from a vision where beauty is a source of confidence, not anxiety” and “to ensure that the next generation grows up enjoying a positive relationship with the way they look—helping young people raise their self-esteem and realize their full potential.”

That’s something we can all stand behind, am I right?!

Dove goes on to cite numerous research articles documenting how young girls self-esteem declines when they see thin models in media or magazines, triggering them to feel less empowered and more triggered to want to lose weight.

We have to be better for ourselves and our daughters, now and in the future. The Dove Self-Esteem Project also has a list of resources that parents, teachers and youth leaders can use to continue to raise a confident child. As bloggers we can use our platform to help promote other brands and blogging sisters that are pushing for this positive message. 

Effects on Self-Esteem & Body Positivity

It’s not our fault, really. Adobe Photoshop has been around for nearly 30 years altering their business model (as any company should) to attract the common social media goer who thinks they can be a photo editor,  lowering their price point to seal the deal and inspiring countless new photo editing apps, many of which are free to use. 

We shouldn’t feel bad that we like to scroll on Instagram, but how much do we ignore all of the photoshopped photos we see? Maybe if brands posted more edited vs. non-edited versions side by side but that would be a hard battle to win. So we accept it as reality and then strive for the same. You can see how this is an endless loop of self-deprecation that we at least need to be aware of.

Connie Morrison talks photo manipulation and makes a great example of this in her book Who Do They Think They Are? Teenage Girls & Their Avatars in Spaces of Social Online Communication, she says “girls understand that the images on television and in magazines are manipulated, and for some this understanding seems to lead to an expectation that they can (or should) be doing the same.” One girl being interviewed states, “It makes me more comfortable… when my profile picture is something that looks flawless and ‘pretty’ even though I know it’s fake.” 

Blurred Lines

I can’t write this blog post and not mention the two points below or I would be a hypocrite. I admit, even today, I scroll through social media and look at other women and think, “wow I wish I had her body or I wish my lips were more plump like hers or my boobs were just a little bit bigger.” It’s an unavoidable battle and it’s up to me to show my confidence through the body I was given and help others do the same.

Job Opportunities

The question becomes - what if we land a brand partnership and are asked to do a photo shoot? It can be insulting to the brand or photographer to try and dictate how he/she is or isn’t going to edit their own photos which we have no ownership over. When it comes to making money, is that where our beliefs sway quickly to the other side? It’s always worth it to research what each brand stands for before committing and it can’t hurt to at least start the conversation, right?

Filters

I don’t consider this crossing the line. I put filters more in the category of photo curation or  “implementing a theme” on a social media page. Also I love the Huji filter LOL!

If anything, vowing not to use photoshop will push me to be more creative when posing for photos and help boost my photography skills.

To Wrap This Up

My advice would be to focus on the things we can control like our photos that we take, own and publish. Drink more water, get your daily dose of Vitamin D, get a solid and undisturbed nights rest, put the right things in this well-oiled machine we have as a body. Manage stress and anxiety through conversations with family, therapists or friends. Practice meditation, yoga or other physical activities. These are some of the things that will benefit us minds, bodies, and self-esteem.  

You can also check out RawBeauty Co. which offers tools and coaching for self-love and finding beauty in yourself to boost confidence and love for one another, along with fighting for better diversity in beauty representations and empowering women to be authentic. They also have a variety of cruelty-free products for beauty, self-care and meditation.

Take Action

If you are a blogger and you believe in this and actively live it, comment below so we can all support each other and continue this important conversation. I want to continue to educate myself on this topic and support the brands and bloggers who already do. If there are movements out there that support this, leave those in the comments as well to continue to push for self-love and authenticity.

#LoveYourselfEveryday