I’ve been thinking a lot about Instagram lately. I’ve been thinking about how Instagram shapes my opinions about my body, about my face, about my hair, and how socialization has changed from being solely in person to being on the internet, and honestly inescapable.
Obviously girls and women coming to terms with positive body image isn’t new, up until the 9th grade 90% of my friend group came from dance class and most of them were built like the typical dancers, and I was not. That definitely took a toll, but I think Instagram presents a new kind of issue. The issue of blurring the lines between reality and fiction. The explore page is full of women selling detox tea as a way to lose weight and get a “dream body” when the body type they’re promoting is bought, and trust me there’s no shade in getting surgery. If I could afford a BBL I’d probably go out and schedule one today, but it’s the idea of not being truthful with your followers. I can’t tell you how many times a friend of mine has sent a picture and said “OMG goals I need to get in the gym,” about a body that has been manufactured. Imagine just how many Flat Tummy Tea sales have been made because Blac Chyna posed with it and acted like it was an integral part of her regimen. Heck, even Khloe Kardashian had a series dedicated to helping women obtain a dream body naturally, when that’s not the reality of her journey.
Is having plastic surgery fine? Of course, do what you personally want. But is lying to your followers okay? Absolutely not, is it all over Instagram, even from some of those “fitspo” pages? Of course it is, and that’s what my issue is. It happens in other places on Instagram for sure but a lipstick that’s $20 is completely different than selling young women a body ideal that wasn’t reached naturally, in my humble opinion.
That obviously doesn’t mean there aren’t honest influencers on “the gram”. There are influencers who definitely are honest and open. They will be honest with their journey. They’ll share their experience, their journey, be honest if they have had surgery, and explain how they’ve maintained their body. My advice? Exercise, eat well, but also set goals based on yourself not on someone on the Internet. Take advice but take some of that advice with a grain of salt.
What do you think? Has Instagram’s idea of “perfection” turned toxic? Share any and all of your thoughts below!
18 thoughts on “Are Influencers Ruining Instagram?”
Very true and I’m guilty of sending one of those pics to my friends. I’ve decided that I’ll eat better and whatever body I have is what I have.
Trust me we’ve all done it no shame in admitting it lol
I am very scared. I really look awful in pictures. So I never take any pictures. I like your advice to eat well and stay fit.
I promise you probably look much better than you think! I hope one day you find the confidence to post pics I’m sure everyone will love.
I have been spending less time on Instagram for the very reasons you mention in this post.
Very understandable
Thanks for sharing this post! I know I definitely feel self-conscious when I post to Instagram, because so much of what we see there is styled and edited to “perfection.” I try to be as open and honest as I can with my followers, but I sometimes end up editing out blemishes and the like because of that pressure to seem perfect. So yeah, I think Instagram has made our idea of perfection toxic, because so little of what’s there is reality! 🙂
I am very much over the idea of perfection. There is no such thing. I prefer these influencers to be open and honest. At the end of the day, I think how you view yourself almost always come down to your sense of self-worth and self-esteem. It also is very much about making money at least in my opinion. Social media will always be like fairytale land that is how I view it . At the end of the day, I base my opinions on my intuition and when advice seems sensible to me .
I dont think instagram has become toxic. I think people just have research and be smart about who they look up or motivates them.
Very thoughtful post! I really do wish more influencers would be honest on their thoughts and opinions on the products they’re talking about on Instagram!
I definitely believe that with anything, there are positive and negative things about IG. Lately I’ve been seeing those flat tummy tea appetite suppressant pops and it really upsets me every time. I think people are starting to value money over their beliefs/their integrity and it’s sad. On the other hand, I think following people who are actually putting in the work is really inspiring and motivational. Like I said, positive and negative
I can agree with that for sure!
I actually think the world of Instagram and social media have changed quite a bit in a positive way. There is much more diversity in influencers and if you keep the mindset of following only people who bring you joy, it can be a very positive space!
Instagram and social media for that matter can be a toxic place if you let it. It will have you comparing an contrasting your body to all these images of so-called perfection. You have to remember to be you and that makes you special. But not gonna lie I’ve fallen under the spell and pressure of body goals many times.
I agree with you that pictures of perfect bodies of Instagram babes may put false pressure on the gullible. I have been in the gym for years but the appearance of the perfectly enhanced bodies is a new phenomenon. Like you I think people should avoid these pressure and work on exercising, eating well, and setting their own goals rather than settling for being pressured by unreal images on the internet.
I 110% believe Instagram is toxic for young women! I love the app (so I feel hypocrite saying that) but I oftrn think of deleting it because of the effect it has on my mental state! Its crazy that we let it influence and affect us so much! I do agree that some influencer arr very authentic and honest and I love that!! Girl, you are gorgeous! We just have to remember that instagram is so fake..
Same girl and thank you you’re gorgeous too!
I don’t do much with Instagram at all. I can’t even say I have been on it more than a couple times. I think society in general pushes us to much to strive for unobtainable perfection when it comes to body images. I try to stray my kids from instagram more than the other social medias because it does seem to portray the perfect body image even more than the rest.