Whenever we open up Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, we see the most recent posts in our feed. We constantly see filtered pictures with a cliché caption under it and we like it and comment on it complimenting how good the person looks, everyday, almost like a routine. But when do we question it; how fake the picture is, or how much they filtered it, or even if it’s photoshopped. We usually don’t because when we first start our accounts on any social media platform (that allows pictures), we get recommendations or suggestions on who to either check out or follow and they are usually celebrities or famous people. They have the resources to make a picture look almost too good and we start to follow these people more and more, so all that we are seeing is filtered photos, this then inclines us to filter every picture that we post onto our accounts because we want to look like them.
This can be backed up by just looking at how many people filter or alter their pictures. Another aspect to look at is how many followers the person has, which can let us see just how many people they are influencing. I see it almost everyday, a person (famous or not) puts a filter on their picture, then puts a motivational/inspiring caption underneath it, and posts it (sometimes even reposting the same picture). They then get complimentary comments on how good they look. For example if you look on one of the most followed accounts on Instagram with around 120 million followers, Kim Kardashian, you see that she posts a picture of her posing with expensive outfits on for whatever reason (photoshoot, endorsements, or representing some brand). And she puts a motivational caption or a caption thanking a certain brand and you can clearly see that the picture is filtered and that she has a heavy amount of make-up on. Her followers see this and just mimic what she does, which throws out the creativity and realness with the pictures that they post.
In my opinion I think that just posting the good things that go on in your life isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but when you start altering the good to make it look even better, you are getting farther away from reality. It gives everybody the notion that your life is perfect and that nothing is ever wrong. I think that looking up to a celebrity or famous person is just fine (everybody does it at some point), it’s just when people try to mimic or copy them to a point that they are copying the personalities and mannerisms of that person, I think is too far and is bad for you. I think it’s bad because it’s giving you a false sense of reality and it’s affecting you and everyone around you; it can be self-destructive to your self image. It’s fine to post filtered pictures, but don’t do it too often or else people will change the way they see you in a negative way most of the time.
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