Filtered Realities

Have you ever looked in the mirror and loathed your appearance because there is someone out there you deem better looking? 93% of young women compare themselves to people they see on social media. Believe it or not, 90% of what you see on social media is fake or edited.

Adolescents often idealize appearing perfect through unrealistic body standards, hoping to have flawless skin and an exemplary body shape. Because teenagers are in the cardinal phase of growth, they tend to notice when others possess an admirable feature that they don’t. Teenage girls spend on average 5.3 hours on social media per day, while boys average 4.4 hours. The more time one spends on social media, the more likely they are to become addicted, seeing hourglass bodies as “healthy” when they are presumably photoshopped. Constantly being surrounded by beauty standards in adolescence directly correlates with negative body satisfaction, which is something that should only be considered after at least high school graduation.

Not only has social media created a false perception of body figures, but it has also caused a prominent surge in mental health issues and eating disorders. Being constantly bombarded with negative perceptions of a regular body leads to viewing unrealistic beauty standards as normal. 

Every body, every pimple, and every single person tells a story through their physical identity. You never know what others are going through; you should never judge others based on their appearance. Most of the time, teenagers believe they are constantly being watched and judged. However, it is quite the opposite as everyone is so invested in their own appearance that most of the time, they don't bother paying attention to others’ insecurities. Because of this, you should take pride in your features, as you are one in a million. Comparing yourself to others will hurt on the inside more than the outside. 

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Sources:

Mazzeo, Suzanne, et al. “Mitigating Harms of Social Media for Adolescent Body Image and Eating Disorders: A Review.” Psychology Research and Behavior Management, vol. Volume 17, no. 38978847, 1 July 2024, pp. 2587–2601, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11229793/, https://doi.org/10.2147/prbm.s410600.

Ozimek, Phillip, et al. “How Photo Editing in Social Media Shapes Self-Perceived Attractiveness and Self-Esteem via Self-Objectification and Physical Appearance Comparisons.” BMC Psychology, vol. 11, no. 1, 6 Apr. 2023, bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40359-023-01143-0,