For many of us who aimlessly scroll through social media for hours at a time, influencers seem like larger-than-life beings who embody perfection. With every flawless selfie and envy-inducing travel post, they have become the go-to style gurus, fitness coaches, wellness experts and beauty specialists of the internet. Exotic vacations, designer wardrobes, glass skin and toned bodies.
Influencers often present a lifestyle that's way out of reach for the average person. It’s easy to forget that those perfect moments are often just highlights, not the full story. It’s a carefully balanced mix of filters, photo editing, and professional makeup.
For followers like you and me, it sets an unattainable beauty standard. Research published in the journal Psychology of Popular Media Culture reveals what increased exposure to unrealistic beauty standards on Instagram can actually do. It confuses our social comparison radar because we’re constantly trying to figure out where we stand.
If we’re prettier, skinnier, smarter than everyone else. The study author, Danielle Leigh Wagstaff told The Guardian, “With Instagram, we have access to all these idealised images which aren’t always an accurate representation of the world. People tend to post only their best images on Instagram, using filters.
We have a false sense of what the average is, which makes us feel worse about ourselves.” Imagine this: you wake up, hair’s a mess, and you’ve spotted a zit that wasn’t there the ni.
