Instagram vs Realty
“Instagram vs Reality” is a popular hashtag these days. With so many apps and filters (airbrush, face- tune, and body-tune, etc..) people are really interested in what their fellow humans actually look like. Filters and photoshop capabilities make it possible to alter ourselves and change our appearance to what we think is more desirable. These existence of filters and photoshopping apps goes to show that the phenomena of “improving ones’ appearance” is clearly cultural. Society has established norms that are generally considered as “beautiful” and filters/apps are simply capitalizing on this. These norms change over time, sort of like how fashion trends come and go.
Guilty of Photoshopping
As a blogger or influencer I’m guilty of photoshopping. I’m not going to lie to you. I’ve made my waist smaller, smoothed wrinkles, added makeup, and I love a good filter. As I’ve evolved as a blogger I have started to shy away from photoshopping more and more. I realize that I don’t need to be ashamed of my figure or face, I am who I am and I should be ok with that. Many other women feel this same way and that’s why #instagramvsreality is a thing. People (women in particular I think) want the reassurance of knowing that other people are human and have flaws just like them; humanization after all brings people together.
It’s not new
Here’s the interesting thing though, none of this is new. That’s right, changing bodies to make them look “more beautiful” by society’s standards is not new. In fact it was common for 19th century photographers to use editing techniques to make a woman’s waist appear smaller in a photograph. They could scrape, draw, or paint directly on a negative to change the photograph. These techniques could be applied to make a waist appear smaller, smooth out wrinkles, or add color to a photograph. Fashion plate’s were edited as well; simply not drawn to a model’s actual measurements.
A fashion plate was a lithograph or engraving that was printed in a 19th century fashion magazine or book. The models were drawn based on real women wearing real dresses. However, they are not actually drawn to scale.
19th century women were subjected to a similar sort of pressure as modern women regarding size and beauty standards. Arguably modern women (especially younger women) are placed under more pressure due to the constant bombardment of social media, filters, and apps than our 19th century counterparts. Now days we are seeing altered images everywhere, no longer just in magazines and advertisements. What does this say about our culture and society? Why do these unobtainable standards of beauty exist? Does it show that women are superficial and always have been? Does it show that women are easily persuaded and always have been? Or is there a scientific answer, something biological that can give us an explanation?
Beauty comes from the heart
I can’t answer those questions in this short post. But, I can say that it’s important that every woman understands that what she sees on a screen isn’t always real. It’s important that girls and teenagers understand this too. Perfection is not obtainable, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and true beauty comes from someone’s heart.
