To think that every teenager should follow this Instagram account?

[JanuaryJonez]

My 14yo DD showed this to me today and it was such an eye-opener. I really had no idea of the extent to which Instagram influencers alter their faces and bodies using apps.

instagram.com/beauty.false?igshid=1nepq16a1v7ns

I knew they all applied some, but I always thought they were all stunningly beautiful anyway (albeit some through surgery as well) and these apps were just enhancing what they already had.

The majority of the people shown literally look like different people with the apps applied, and most seem to have pretty ordinary faces and bodies in real life.

My DD has now sent it to most of her own friends and followers, saying it will really boost their confidence and make them realise how ridiculously unattainable these looks are, because they're not real!

Makeup and the right angles can make quite a difference, for sure.

One of my very close friend is an Instragram influencer/model with a fairly big following. She is gorgeous even without editing etc..., but unlike most influencers with every pic she posts she explains in detail what has been altered/enhanced, she also massively talks about her flaws (in a ''that might not be visible in this pic but I have this and I am proud of it.") she really brings awareness to the reality of Instagram and the reality of her body. When people compliment her about things that she knows doesn't reflect the reality she will say "Actually it only looks like this because of X.''

I really appreciate that about her. And I wish more Instagram models were like her. It's been very interesting having her as a friend because I really get to see both sides.

Ugh just seems the same as those trash magazines "LOOK WE TOOK A PIC OF A CELEBRITY LOOKING FAT!!!!"

I can't see what is positive about that tbh. Gleefully desperately searching (and possibly editing themselves for effect) women looking 'ugly' or 'fat' so we can revel in it and they can gain followers and self promotion. They're real people, it's shameful and I wouldn't encourage anyone to take delight in other women looking shit so I could feel better, rather than working on my own self esteem, let alone think a teenager should be encouraged.

I agree filters are a problem but educating on angles and facetune and lighting can be done without leaping in the gutter. Direct teens to the body positive influencers instead and educate about comparing yourself to other women and the toxic cycle of feeling better if we see them look less good (as per the rules of misogyny) educating on the nature of misogyny and womens looks is at the core of it and a more illuminating lesson.

It would be even better if every teenager stayed off instagram altogether IMO. It's a vacuous hole of misery for a lot of young people I imagine.

A lot of these people aren't standard celebrities though.

Better ones to follow are Alex Light, Tally Rye and Emily Clarkson.

I agree, I would hope my kids wouldn't want to look at vacuous influencer crap

Yabu. Why should they be on instagram at all? Are you a paid promoter?

I also get the sense that this page is saying "look how awful these people are in real life" - the title "beauty false" suggests these people are "not beautiful" without the filters. I'm not sure that's a healthy message to be promoting. Most of these people look lovely without filters, I would want that to be the message young people are getting, but I don't think that's the idea here.

I do understand OP, that you want your dd to see that celebrity photos are fake but I'm not sure this is the best site for this, because it implies that the people involved only look "beautiful" if their photos are distorted. So it's still, underneath, selling a warped view of "beauty".

but unlike most influencers with every pic she posts she explains in detail what has been altered/enhanced

So why not just stop altering and enhancing altogether

@Shetoshe

It would be even better if every teenager stayed off instagram altogether IMO. It's a vacuous hole of misery for a lot of young people I imagine.

I'm not exactly young but this was true for me. It did a number on my mental health. Won't go near it again.

@dontgobaconmyheart

I can't see what is positive about that tbh. Gleefully desperately searching (and possibly editing themselves for effect) women looking 'ugly' or 'fat' so we can revel in it and they can gain followers and self promotion. They're real people, it's shameful and I wouldn't encourage anyone to take delight in other women looking shit so I could feel better, rather than working on my own self esteem, let alone think a teenager should be encouraged.

I agree filters are a problem but educating on angles and facetune and lighting can be done without leaping in the gutter. Direct teens to the body positive influencers instead and educate about comparing yourself to other women and the toxic cycle of feeling better if we see them look less good (as per the rules of misogyny) educating on the nature of misogyny and womens looks is at the core of it and a more illuminating lesson.

This. Didn't make me feel very positive looking at an account that's shaming women... At least, that's how it made me feel.

Fair enough, there's some photos doing side by side comparisons of the exact same pic - interesting to see what filters can do. But the majority seem to be comparing different photos, which could be years apart or very different angles?! Doesn't seem fair.

why not just stop altering and enhancing altogether

Agree. But unfortunately I think that ship sailed long ago.

If your friend was so proud of her “flaws” wouldn’t she be posting them anyway?

Doesn’t make me feel positive. But I don’t take much notice of influencers and go on Instagram about 3 times a year.

Why are there only pics of women? Are we to believe male celebs/models aren’t photoshopped?

@AmIBeingTwatty

If your friend was so proud of her “flaws” wouldn’t she be posting them anyway?

Yup.

Danaemercer is also brilliant to follow on instagram, her posts are very informative and I for one have started to love my body more since finding her. she always shows the insta v's reality poses and it has opened my eyes to the fact that not everyone is as they seem in the world of social media. She is definitely worth a follow

I agree filters are a problem but educating on angles and facetune and lighting can be done without leaping in the gutter. Direct teens to the body positive influencers instead and educate about comparing yourself to other women and the toxic cycle of feeling better if we see them look less good (as per the rules of misogyny) educating on the nature of misogyny and womens looks is at the core of it and a more illuminating lesson.

Agree!

Also the reality is there will always be some women irl who win the genetic lottery anyway.

Of course artificial beauty standards from surgery/filters aren’t great, but I think what is worse is people taking joy from ‘exposing’ peoples flaws

@Macncheeseballs

I agree, I would hope my kids wouldn't want to look at vacuous influencer crap

They will

But surely the average teenager is more aware than most that the photoshopped cartoons on instagram bear little resemblence to what people look like in real life?

They edit and filter everything they publish of themselves, so they'd be a little daft to think that other people are showing what they actually look like?

I really don’t like that either it’s like the photos of the cover of a trashy magazine showing the differences! How would you feel if this was your daughter in one of those pictures looking beautiful in her normal/natural way hanging out with friends or shopping and then someone airbrushed/edited/changed her then posted on social media to show the difference. Must get soul destroying for those people on their normal days.,I definitely wouldn’t be pointing my children to this. There are so many body positive influencers out there such as Jada Sezer who are showing girls and boys it’s ok to be who are.

I think Beauty False is quite a good page, if only because it exposes how powerful facetune and photoshop can be. Young girls need only look at a few of those images to see how unrealistic the edited stuff is. I don't get the feeling that they are 'shaming' these women (although as PP said, where are the men) they don't make value comments about the subjects appearance generally, but just that they are showing the difference between Instagram and reality.

I do feel a bit sorry for young women - either they are bombarded with images of artificially enhanced unattainable perfection, or if they don't want that there are the 'body positive' accounts which have images of unhealthily overweight young women talking about how the word 'exercise' is triggering and how stopping for even a second to consider what you are putting into your mouth means you have 'issues with food'. I don't think either are particularly healthy mind sets for young women.

Some of the photoshopping is so bad they look bizarre. Especially the waist reducing ones.

I can see what you are getting at showing the before and after but it's also pointing at perfectly ordinary women and saying look how horrid they look without filters.

@BarbaraofSeville

But surely the average teenager is more aware than most that the photoshopped cartoons on instagram bear little resemblence to what people look like in real life?

They edit and filter everything they publish of themselves, so they'd be a little daft to think that other people are showing what they actually look like?

That's why they are editing their own images though isn't it? Because they are worried they are not good enough the way they are?

Better not to follow any of that stuff. That looks negative to me but following altered version not good either.