An Open Letter To Instagram Users About “Ideal” Body Image

To all of the vulnerable young women who have felt their confidence drop after looking

at an image of a model on Instagram

To all of the women who have likened their body to the thin, sculpted bodies they view

on Instagram

To all of the women who have stood in front of the mirror scrutinizing every superficial

flaw on their bodies after looking at images of seemingly perfect women on Instagram

To all of the women who have developed eating disorders and body image issues

fostered by social comparison prevalent on Instagram

To all of the women who have doubted their own self-worth based on their observing of

hundreds of images of beautiful women on Instagram

To all of the women who have felt they are not enough attributable to unattainable

beauty standards and body expectations perpetuated on Instagram

With social media sustaining such influence in society, we should be

desensitized to the “ideal” body image on Instagram. Or should we? The pressure to
transcend society’s expectations of the “ideal” body image is only exacerbated by the

prevalence of social media platforms such as Instagram.

Many young women have taken to social media platforms such as Twitter to

convey how Instagram has triggered social comparison. Amanda Sinishtaj tweets, “I

deleted Instagram off my phone for a nice cleanse. One day in and I already feel

better..feels weird not comparing myself to like 10 different women”. Alexa responds,

“Girl, yes!! I did this about a week ago and I feel so much better about myself, no

unnecessary comparisons here!!”. Would your positive body image benefit from an

Instagram cleanse? Would unfollowing models and Instagram influencers enhance your

body positivity? Would deleting the Instagram app off of your phone make you feel less

inferior to women with the “ideal” body?

Selena Gomez opened up about self-acceptance and authenticity on Coach’s

“Dream It Real” podcast where she conveyed her thoughts on social media driven

comparison elicited by images on Instagram. Gomez articulated how too much screen

time on Instagram made her, “kind of depressed looking at these people who look

beautiful and amazing, and it would just get me down a lot so I just think taking breaks
is really important” (Henderson). Gomez took a three-month hiatus from social media

last year to focus on her mental health.

While Instagram and the idea of the “ideal” body image on social media is not the

only instigator of body image issues, women are at risk of developing a negative body

image as harmful body expectations and beauty standards are spread on the app. In his

article entitled, “Instagram's Influence on Body Image,” Ricky Derisz eloquently

articulates the relationship between Instagram and negative body appearance by

mentioning that, “While all social media sites have a potentially detrimental effect on the

way we feel, Instagram, with its heavy focus on imagery has a particularly negative

impact on one specific area: body image”. We tend to post the most flattering images of
our bodies and broadcast our appearance and experiences on Instagram. Think back to

an interaction prior to posting an image on Instagram when your friend said, “Do not

post that picture! My thighs look huge,” or “Wait. Cut me out of this photo, my stomach

looks awful”. We often post the most impeccably posed images taken at the finest

angle.

Body image issues rise in the space between how our bodies really are, and the

projection of what our bodies should be, thus, broadening a vicious cycle of comparison

and negative self-perception, all of which is exacerbated by the “ideal” body image on

Instagram. In this way, beauty standards are devised to be unattainable.

Psychology Today suggests that, “The fascination with celebrity culture and

prevalence of social media has only exacerbated the problem of social comparison,
exposing people to endless potential comparisons, many of whom appear perfect

online”. The most ‘liked’ image is the physique or appearance most sought-after.

When we are overrun with photos of individuals who are “just like us” on

Instagram, we compare our physiques and appearances against those women.

Instagram encourages women to liken themselves to unrealistic, deeply curated,

intensely filtered, and Photoshopped versions of reality.

There is an expectation Instagram is authentic because of the user-driven

dynamic. In her article entitled, “The Impact of Instagram on Our Body Image,” Kendyl

Barney explores the media portrayal of women and how social media is threatening on

a new level as it gives the impression of normality. Barney articulates that Instagram,

“gives the illusion that the images are not professional, their subjects not altered or
photoshopped beyond the adding of a filter”. This suggests that these women appear

this way in reality which is not always accurate. Barney emphasizes how incessant

Photoshop forces the concept of a singular type of beauty into the minds of all women

who see it, thus, furthering idealistic body expectations and an unrealistic standard of

beauty. Young women are susceptible to forming distorted perceptions and harmful

ideas about their body appearance based on the “ideal” body image shown on

Instagram. Moreover, young women are prone to emulating an “ideal” body image

depicted on Instagram that does not exist in reality. The representation of the “ideal”

body image on Instagram can make young women more at risk of developing an eating

disorder or more reactive to an existing, or ongoing, eating disorder.

Why do women alter their body and appearance on Instagram, thus, contributing

to the vicious cycle of beauty standards and body expectations perpetuated by society?

Are beauty standards and body expectations promoted by society solely to blame? Or,

do young women who Photoshop their bodies contribute to the toxic cycle due to innate

body image issues of their own?

 I have dealt with an ongoing eating disorder myself for roughly seven years. I

have been that girl standing in front of the mirror obsessing over her body and pointing

out every perceived flaw, even the ones that are not actually there. Taking care of your

body and health is above everything else; so, if unfollowing models or Instagram

influencers who make you feel bad about your self-perception and body image makes

you feel better, unfollow them without any hesitation. You can remove Instagram from

your life altogether if you find yourself having negative thoughts about your body image

due to the harmful nature of the app. Most importantly, there is no such thing as the

“ideal” body image, no matter how much society and Instagram want you to believe

there is.

Take care of yourself, be kind to your body and know that you are enough.

With love and consideration,

Katelyn

P.S. The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) hotline is (800) 931-

2237.
 Works Consulted

Alexa (withlove_alexa). “Girl, yes! I did this about a week ago and I feel so much

better about myself, no unnecessary comparisons here!!” 18 March 2019,

10:19 PM. Tweet.

https://twitter.com/withlove_alexa/status/1107813836227268608.

Accessed on 28 April 2019.

Barney, Kendyl. “The Impact of Instagram On Our Body Image.” The Odyssey
Online, 13 Nov. 2017, www.theodysseyonline.com/impact-instagram-
body-image. Accessed on 28 April 2019.
“Contact the Helpline.” National Eating Disorders Association, 5 Mar. 2019,
www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/help-support/contact-helpline. Accessed
on 28 April 2019. Accessed on 28 April 2019.
Derisz, Ricky. “Instagram's Influence on Body Image.” MindThatEgo, 26 January

2019, www.mindthatego.com/instagram-influence-body-image-part-1/.

Accessed on 28 April 2019.

Henderson, Cydney. “Selena Gomez Doesn't Want to Be Called Pretty Anymore.

Here's Why.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 24 Apr.

2019, www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2019/04/24/selena-gomez-

instagram-break-therapy-speaks-out-podcast/3566086002/. Accessed on

28 April 2019.

Sinishtaj, Amanda (amandasinishtaj). “I deleted Instagram off my phone for a

nice cleanse. one day in and I already feel better.. feels weird not

comparing myself to like 10 different women.” 18 March 2019, 10:18 PM.

Tweet. https://twitter.com/amandasinishtaj/status/1107813515455279105.

Accessed on 28 April 2019.

“Social Comparison Theory.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 2019,
www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/social-comparison-theory. Accessed
on 28 April 2019.
Whelan, Nora, and Andrew Richard. “An Imperfect Human's Guide to Body

Positivity.” BuzzFeed, BuzzFeed, 15 Dec. 2018,

www.buzzfeed.com/norawhelan/body-positivity-101. Accessed on April 28

2019.