Blog Post #8

I could type all day about how social media has shaped me, especially instagram. But, I think that one huge piece of technology that has shaped Instagram itself is the Kardashians. It’s fairly easy for me to look at photos on Instagram and understand that they’re photoshop, that this is not how that person actually looks 99% of the time, whether they edited their photo or took 7000 photos until they got the angle right. On the other hand, the Kardashians DO actually look like that all the time. Or, at least all of the time they are in public. And, I can't blame the Kardashians for altering their appearance to look a certain way. If I had the time and the funds, I may be doing the same thing. It's undeniable that they have set a standard that is unachievable for the majority of the population, though. With lip injections, ~potential~ plastic surgery, and waist trainers, these ladies have spent who knows how much time/money/energy/etc. on how they look. 

I just can't do that. I'm thankful that I've never gone through an eating disorder in an attempt to achieve a different body shape or weight, but it's nearly impossible for a young girl not to have some psychological damage from seeing these women everywhere. I've certainly taken a few blows to my self esteem after seeing their images on instagram, or magazines, or TV, or literally anywhere else. Fortunately, as I've gotten older, I've begun to recognize and accept that their appearance is not normal. Unless you do have their time/money/energy, it's not realistic, and that's okay. It's okay that I'd rather spend those things on an education so I can build a long-lasting career for myself. A way that I've combated this is by following a different type of woman on instagram - Zendaya, who posts the real, unedited pictures of herself from photoshoots, and Ashley Graham, who is a "plus-size" model that still looks absolutely stunning in anything she wears. Although I know I'm lucky to have somewhat overcome the pressure and mental warping surrounding physical appearance that comes with the Kardashians (and many others who follow in their footsteps), I still recognize that many women and girls out there have not, and hope that society continues to push the Zendayas and Ashley Grahams of the world to the forefront of social media.