The photoshop epidemic on social media

Sources’ names have been changed for anonymity.

When scrolling through endless pictures on my Instagram feed, two questions cross my mind: Why do we feel the need to portray ourselves a certain way on social media? Why does social media make me feel so anxious?

Social media was initially created to increase connection but has since expanded into thousands of social networking sites used by billions of people to interact with others and market and sell products. 

Apps like TikTok, a video-sharing platform, and Instagram, a photo-sharing site, have gained extreme popularity over the past couple of years. In turn, they are allowing average teens to obtain large followings. These young people influence hundreds of thousands, even millions of people.  

Social media influencers must create seemingly “perfect” profiles to gain followers and attract the attention of brands for partnerships. These carefully curated profiles persuade others to desire the same level of perfection, resulting in the casual alteration and photoshopping of photo and video content. 

Relying on photoshop apps like Adobe Lightroom and FaceTune to feel confident can be detrimental to one’s mental health. Constantly altering photos of ourselves can have a negative psychological effect, including leading to body dysmorphia.

A study conducted by Case24 found that 71% of people use FaceTune before posting a picture of themselves on Instagram. FaceTune is an editing app that allows individuals to reshape their bodies and change their features. It is terrifyingly easy to use and addictive. 

A conversation with a friend of mine was consistent with this statistic. Olivia uses photoshop apps to touch up minor details on her face and body.

“It’s the little things that bother me about myself. My teeth, the way my nose looks from the side, and the way my hips don’t curve inward like some of my favorite social media influencers,” she said. “FaceTune allows me to touch up some of my imperfections, and ever since I started using it in seventh grade, I haven’t been able to stop.”

Questions like “Do I look good enough to post this?” and “Am I as good-looking as them?” flood our minds as we venture through social media. This constant internal battle can result in anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. 

Altering ourselves using these apps is directly correlated with eating disorders, particularly in teenagers. Epidemiological studies suggest that eating disorders have increased over the past 50 years as a result of excessive photoshop use.

Additionally, these disorders are becoming highly common because of the massive increase in social media platforms by young children. A study based on a survey of 500 women showed that the average age children get their first phone is 10.3 years old, and approximately 39% did so between the ages of 10 and 12. According to a CNN study conducted in 2016, parents reported that the average age their children signed up for social media accounts was 12.6.

After evaluating the effects of social media on young women, I spoke to a teenage boy. The struggles young men face because of social media are overlooked, so I felt it essential to uplift added perspectives. 

“I’ve had acne since the seventh grade, and that’s one thing that I’m super insecure about,” Jeremy said. “Sometimes, I don’t even post pictures of myself and my friends because I feel like my red spots are so noticeable. I compare myself to these TikTokers too, which has affected my confidence. Sometimes I wish I never downloaded Instagram in the first place.”

People fall into a negative cycle where they alter their photos, resulting in their followers doing the same and perpetuating unattainable beauty standards. Unfortunately, comparing yourself to others is a natural human behavior, but it can become a severe problem when you become obsessed with a false image of yourself. 

Social media should be a place we visit to embrace our differences and beauty, rather than a toxic platform used to compare ourselves to the people around us. It is important to remember that the story behind a picture on someone’s account may be entirely different from what it seems. Social media comes with a massive responsibility, and we must understand its consequences before immersing ourselves in its negativity and ingenuity.