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 People have the opportunity to follow whoever they may like on their Instagram thus can avoid accounts that make them feel down.

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 People have the opportunity to follow whoever they may like on their Instagram thus can avoid accounts that make them feel down.

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Young women who are not satisfied with the way they look feel pressured to modify their pictures so that they can appear thinner, have sharper features and show off a flawless complexion. They “edit” themselves to attract more followers and boost their reputation.

Body image is a struggle that many high school and college students deal with, and this can lead to eating disorders and unhealthy dieting behaviors. Constant exposure to Instagram models and photoshopped pictures can distort one’s idea of an attainable body. Studies show that 58 percent of college-aged girls have a goal weight they wish to achieve and that the media can influence their perception of what is attractive. However, the women represented in the media, like Instagram and television, only make up five percent of the population. The look that many girls try to achieve is highly unattainable.

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Plus, discuss the effect this could have on a generation constantly comparing themselves to completely unattainable beauty standards

Checking my Instagram after work one day, a post jumps out at me.

I stop my scrolling to examine a story from content creator Faye Dickinson, who has 75k followers. Half the screen is a normal photo of her face: she's sans make up and wearing a black and red hoodie with her hair in a bun. On the other side, her features are edited - albeit not dramatically - by one of the platform's many 'subtle' beauty filters.

But that's the thing - while you wouldn't notice the edits if they were all over her face, when you see them side-by-side, the Photoshopping really stands out. Her lips are plumped to a level that could realistically only be achieved by filler, her skin is airbrushed of all and any imperfections, and her eyes are a totally different colour under a row of perfectly edited on lashes.

These filters are used by millions of people every day - Instagram has over 815 million users, and while the exact number of story filters are unknown, it's definitely in the hundreds of thousands. Many of said filters pose as subtle day-to-day colour changes or brightening effects but, in reality, edit your face and features more than perhaps even you know.

Last year, Sasha Pallari started using the hashtag #FilterDrop to encourage social media users to post selfies without any filter at all. She went on to lobby the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) about face-altering apps and Photoshop on social media, arguing that the constant blurring of real and fake, especially in the beauty world, was prompting influencers to sell products with highly Photoshopped and filtered images of themselves.

They've since introduced laws around beauty influencing, which dictate that you must state if you've edited a photo, but it's not enough.

When the 'you' you're seeing every day on social looks medically enhanced, what does this actually do to your mental health and internal body image narrative? I reached out to Dickinson to get her take on the trend and further chatted to two doctors about the effect this constant yet subtle airbrushing is having on our mental health. Keep reading.

Introducing Filter vs Reality

A 2017 study in the journal Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications found that manipulated images are only recognised 60% to 65% of the time. Seeing how many filters even subtly Photoshop your face now, it begs the question: what effect will this have on a younger generation who are constantly comparing themselves to completely unattainable beauty standards?

According to Dickinson, "I created my split-screen filter to show people how dramatic these beauty filters really are. They rid you of skin textures, tones, scars, everything that makes you, you, and I've no doubt it's affecting our mental health," she shares.

"It's so easy to feel insecure, especially when so much of the content we consume daily is filtered and photoshopped. When everyone looks picture-perfect, it's hard not to focus on your flaws," she goes on.

What effect do you think these filters have on our mental health?

Research has previously established that social media use negatively impacts mental health, increasing the risk of anxiety, body dissatisfaction, low self esteem, depression and suicidal thoughts, points out doctor Mariam Adegoke GP and founder of Adegoke Wellness Clinic.

"In one particular study, results showed that manipulating selfies (i.e through use of filters), led to greater body-related concerns. And in a catch twenty two, those who are dissatisfied with their image are more likely to use a filter, further reinforcing the negative belief that how they look is not good enough," she explains.

They're also seeing that translate in clinic - 'there has been a noticeable rise in people requesting treatments such as dermal fillers or PDO threads to have lips like Kim, a jawline like Kylie, or eyes like Bella Hadid', she shares. More dangerously, she shares that there has been a rise in people travelling abroad for dangerous Brazilian butt lift surgeries to get the signature Kardashian hourglass figure.

Pablo Vandenabeele, Clinical Director of Mental Health at Bupa UK, agrees, sharing that for some, selfies and filters can be light-hearted, but for others, they can be harmful to your overall mental wellbeing. "Your self-esteem and life satisfaction can be negatively affected, particularly after using image-altering filters that 'beautify' your appearance. These can set an unrealistic expectations and may lead to people striving for a very narrow concept of 'perfection'."

Think about is - when there's a difference between the images posted online and what you're seeing in the mirror day-to-day, there's bound to be some repercussions. "In some cases, this can lead to a low mood, anxiety, and depression, as well as body image issues, such as body dysmorphia," Pablo explains.

What is the solution?

Good question - and one that there's not necessarily an answer to yet. We asked both experts if further legislation would help, or whether flagging each image as edited may be the way forwards?

"Having to have a warning would certainly be a helpful reminder for when people go to compare themselves to others," shares doctor Adegoke. She also reckons that more robust regulations around advertising on social media would help to tackle the level of misinformation on these platforms.

Recurrently reinforcing the fact that not everything you see online is real, through health education adverts or other means, is also important, she reckons.

And finally, she also believes that we need to create a culture where we don't have so much screen time. "Remember to exist in the real world and not just online," she advises, "However, this is obviously easier said than done in the middle of a technology boom."

5 tips for protecting your mental health, if online filters are affecting your confidence

1. Be selective about who you follow, and what you use

Vandenabeele recommends you actively seek out accounts that promote real people and body positivity, celebrating beauty in all its shapes and sizes. "Unfollow any accounts that make you feel negative in any form - whether it's jealousy, upset, shock or simply disinterest," he recommends. Remember: you don't have to follow anyone.

Similarly, avoid using any apps that negatively affect your wellbeing. Although it's easier said than done, it has lots of benefits for your mental health.

2. Reduce your time online

If you're using social media filters and it's causing you to feel negatively about yourself or your appearance, it's time to switch off.

"If you experience any negative thoughts, anxiety, low mood, or depression when you use these apps, switch off and focus your attention elsewhere - perhaps a relaxing activity, like reading or a walk outside," the doctor advises.

3. Put your mental health first

You should regularly check in on yourself and your social media habits - 'it's crucial to have a healthy relationship with these apps', according to the expert.

"There are lots of benefits to social media especially as it's helped us stay closer over the last year, but unfortunately it can exacerbate mental health issues," Vandenabeele says.

4. Practice self-compassion

Social media filters can set unrealistic expectations for yourself, and leave you feeling low, as we've covered. "Try tuning in to your inner voice and noticing how it speaks to you - it's important to be kind to yourself and accepting your strengths and weaknesses," he shares.

Try this: Writing down three things everyday you're proud of can be a great self-care idea. The idea is to build up a picture of yourself that's based on truth and evidence, which you can turn to for reassurance and in times of self doubt.

5. Seek support

If you think social media filters are genuinely impacting your day-to-day life and taking a break isn't helping, it's important to speak to your GP, a mental health professional or a loved one, advises Vandenabeele.

"There is always support available; it can feel a huge relief to open-up about any negative feelings you're experiencing," he shares.

This isn't something you need to face alone: do reach out to your doctor or contact mental health organisations like Mind, who have a free helpline.

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So, are social media filters ruining your mental health? | Marie Claire

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Plus, discuss the effect this could have on a generation constantly comparing themselves to completely unattainable beauty standards Checking my Instagram after work one day, a post jumps out at me. I stop my scrolling to examine a story from content creator Faye Dickinson, who has 75k followers.

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A study, which included women aged 18 to 30 showed that: images that were not focused on appearance, made them feel happy and good about themselves compared to seeing “themselves in more appearance-objectifying terms”

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A study, which included women aged 18 to 30 showed that: images that were not focused on appearance, made them feel happy and good about themselves compared to seeing “themselves in more appearance-objectifying terms”

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The craze has got out of control, resulting in people being seriously injured

She took to Twitter last night to say she was not encouraging people to copy her look.

But it seems to be a case of too little late as the Kylie Jenner lip challenge is already an epidemic.

And unfortunately there have already been a number of casualties along the way.

We're not going to post the pictures as we think they are too gruesome but a quick Twitter search of #KylieJennerChallengeGoneWrong will show you what we mean.

Warning though - these ain't pretty.

There's bleeding, swelling, bruising and A LOT of dribble.

The painful trend has seen young people post videos of themselves inflaming their lips by using a glass and sucking the air out until their pout puffs up.

In response to the phenomenon - although not directly mentioning the challenge - the 17-year-old posted that people shouldn't "be afraid" of experimenting their look.

"I'm not here to try & encourage people/young girls to look like me or to think this is the way they should look," she wrote.

"I want to encourage people/young girls like me to be YOURSELF & not be afraid to experiment w your look (sic)."

The shocking #KylieJennerChallenge hashtag encouraging teens to compete to share their 'enlarged' pout pictures has started trending on Twitter since the weekend.

The 'challenge' to recreate Kylie Jenner's pout threw up a host of less than delightful pictures on the social network site since it started trending late on Sunday night.

Those involved have been sharing shots of before and after pictures of their enlarged lips once they've held a glass over their mouths.

One Twitter user simply wrote "I screwed up" next to her worrying picture, while another said "I look so gross".

It quickly sparked a flurry of criticism, with one writing: "Is this #kyliejennerchallenge for real? How stupid is this generation? Do people not realise they're bursting blood vessels?"

Another said: "To everyone doing the #kyliejennerchallenge WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"

And: "Even if I didn't have plump lips, I would never subject myself to this kind of stupidity."

"Congratulations for the dumbest trend of all time," shared someone else.

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Kylie Jenner lip challenge goes wrong #KylieJennerChallengeGoneWrong

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The craze has got out of control, resulting in people being seriously injured She took to Twitter last night to say she was not encouraging people to copy her look. But it seems to be a case of too little late as the Kylie Jenner lip challenge is already an epidemic.

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Psychiatrist Explains How Insecure People Use the Internet

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1. Adverts sell a dream you need the product
2. Celebrity endorsements using makeup and edited photos to sell products they may not use themselves
3. Unrealistic beauty standards- self-esteem
4. Manipulated images-Filters and Photoshop-selling people the dream of being able to look however they like
5. The idea of not missing
6. Being able to be anonymous
7. Become famous
8. To be able to present a fake lifestyle
-Live the American
9. Being able to share their own opinions
10. Recieve validation from others

However:
1.Body confident posts
2.people can communicate to others with the same insecurities
3.Can find ways to get over their insecurities

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Lizzo shared an empowering, unedited nude photo on Instagram ahead of her chat with the beauty giant on Tuesday to inspire others to embrace their Photoshop- and filter-free selves.

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Lizzo shared an empowering, unedited nude photo on Instagram ahead of her chat with the beauty giant on Tuesday to inspire others to embrace their Photoshop- and filter-free selves.

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Nicole Ocran, an influencer with 28,000 followers who set up influencer union The Creator Union last year, says the content on her Instagram that has had the most engagement during the pandemic is less than glamorous.

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For most of us, social media platforms are now part of our routine. So consider taking a look at the rundown of IG stats below. We've compiled them to help you fully understand what the platform 's intentions are, how it works, and how it has developed within just a few years of existence. People who enjoy using the network would definitely relish knowing more facts about it. Additionally, marketers looking to harness Instagram's full potential will find the following statistics and facts more than worthwhile.

The Top Instagram Stats & Facts You Need to Know

Instagram has over a billion monthly active users.

About 995 photos are uploaded to Instagram every second.

The number-one most-shared food on Instagram is pizza.

There are currently over 140 million Instagram users in the United States.

80% of Instagram accounts are for personal use.

More women use Instagram than men.

The majority of Instagram users are aged between 25-34 (33.1%).

60% of Instagram users go on the platform to find new products.

61% of brands are planning to increase their advertising budget for Instagram in 2021.

The Stories feature receives more than 500 million users daily.

Now, take a look at the stunning infographic we've designed for you!

Fascinating Facts About Instagram
(Source: The Fact Site) (Source: Hootsuite)
IG users are mostly known for spending a good part of their time utilizing its features , such as stories, video sharing, photo sharing, and a few others. Today, it has more than a billion users. In fact, these users are consistently active on the platform, pushing the number of Instagram daily active users up to an impressive 500 million. It shows the outstanding level of engagement that the network produces to keep its users' interest, not to mention how ideal it is for business and product promotion.

4. Over 4.2 billion "likes" happen on Instagram daily.
(Source: PastBook)
5. There were 5 million uploaded videos within the first 24 hours after Instagram announced the video feature in 2013.
(Source: PastBook)
6. The number-one most-shared food on IG is pizza.
(Source: The Fact Site)
Believe it or not, people absolutely love to post food on "the Gram," with sushi and steak also close to the top of the list. As exciting as it is to talk about what people do on Instagram, there's still a lot to be learned about the network's users' preferences.

Stats on Instagram Demographics

7. There are currently over 140 million Instagram users in the United States.

8. 80% of IG accounts are for personal use.
(Source: The Fact Site)
The latest blogging statistics show that 94% of bloggers believe social media is best for promoting their blog content, with 73% of marketers already leveraging Instagram's advertising potential.

Who says IG is for teens and young adults only? When you think of how many people use Instagram, it's hard not to picture a demographic made up of youths alone. It's not the case, though. While it's not the majority, the fact remains that at least 4.1% of older Americans have found ways to enjoy the platform. Next, we'll see what Instagram's gender breakdown looks like.

11. The majority of Instagram users are aged between 25-34 at 33.1% globally.

12. Instagram users would have reached 1,000.8 million globally by quarter four of 2020.

Apart from the effects of the global pandemic in social media usage, the Instagram growth statistics reveal a forecast that Instagram would have reached 1.8 billion users from all over the world by the fourth quarter of 2020, which may have been due to its recent product launch of shopping tags in Instagram's Reels. As usual, , and it's currently at 1,904.4 million users. Facebook still leads
(Source: Statista)
Following the US, with over 140 million Instagram users towards the end of 2020, statistics on Instagram users by country show that India is not too far away, with 120 million users. The geographical landscape of the said country is conducive for marketing small businesses due to its low-cost maintenance.
(Source: Omnicore Agency)
Stats on Finance

15. Instagram influencers with under 10,000 followers can make $88.00 per post on average.
(Source: Petal Card)
16. Instagram's global revenue for 2020 would reach $6.8 billion.

With Instagram's popularity, it's unsurprising if Instagram business statistic s would have a $6.8 billion revenue projection by 2020. While this amount is not confirmed yet as of the writing time, we're quite confident that the final numbers will not be too far away.

17. 61% of brands are planning to increase their advertising budgets for Instagram in 2021.

Surprisingly, Facebook comes second with 46% and YouTube third with 45%. What's even more surprising is that despite TikTok's fame the past year, only 14% of brands plan to increase their budgets for that channel.

Stats on Usage & Engagement

18. 60% of people on Instagram use it to find new products.

Finding the right product for oneself has become so much easier on Instagram, as we can see based on the Instagram statistics from its website . As a matter of fact, brand engagement on Instagram is 10 times more effective than Facebook, the leading social giant, with 60% of people using it to discover new products for themselves. When it comes to the purchasing process, mobile users are quick to act on impulse. The most recent mobile marketing statistics reveal that 90% of consumers use their smartphones to make an impulsive purchase.
(Source: Instagram Business)
IG has over 25 million brand accounts on its platform. This massive number demonstrates a high level of availability to various users. And from the latest Instagram follower stats , 90% of users on the platform follow at least one brand on the network. Apart from that, two out of three people say it enables them to interact with brands.

20. The Stories feature has more than 500 million users daily.
(Source: Statista)
21. There's an 80% increase in time spent watching videos on Instagram.

22. Instagram has over 2 million advertisers every month.
(Source: Sprout Social)
Stats on Growth & Development

23. Instagram's video content is twice as likely to see engagement as photo content.
(Source: PastBook)
24. In June 2018, Instagram reached its first one billion users.
(Source: Statista)
25. Business accounts now allow for multiple insight features.
(Source: Guiding Tech)
26. Instagram's 2020 sales forecast is $28.1 billion.

27. Instagram has seen a staggering 26.9 million new users between 2016-2020.
(Source: HubSpot)
Moreover, according to the latest Instagram showed the most robust year-on-year growth in referral traffic than Facebook, Pinterest, and other social media platforms.

28. Instagram is the second most engaged social network.
(Source: The Fact Site)
After Facebook, Instagram is the world's second most-visited site for the number of its active users. These Instagram engagement statistics come as no surprise considering the platform's continuous growth and development. What's even more fascinating is that more and more businesses are using Instagram growth services to increase their social visibility and sales.

Other Fun Facts About Instagram
(Source: EasyGetInsta)
30. About 50-60% of a user's followers will see their posts.
(Source: Quora)
The videos and photos posted by Insta's users keep their followers engag ed, encouraging them to interact with them. With so many followers seeing these posts, it's no wonder Instagram is such a valuable marketing resource.

31. Business profiles allow users to view stats about their engagement.
(Source: Social Media Examiner)
Final Thoughts

So far, the network has risen to become the second-largest social network in the world. And it doesn't seem to be slowing its pace anytime soon. Despite the network's growing popularity, many people are still unaware of just how influential Instagram is. We hope that we were able to create more awareness about it here. Today, most Instagram statistics show that the platform provides exciting innovations and technologies to its highly engaged users, influencers, businesses, and brands.

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32+ Incredible Instagram Statistics & Facts to Know in 2021

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For most of us, social media platforms are now part of our routine. So consider taking a look at the rundown of IG stats below. We've compiled them to help you fully understand what the platform 's intentions are, how it works, and how it has developed within just a few years of existence.

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“ ‘body confidence’, while others might take some reassurance from them or if not, have role models to emulate” (Gunter, B 2021 pg 88)

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“ ‘body confidence’, while others might take some reassurance from them or if not, have role models to emulate” (Gunter, B 2021 pg 88)

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Jaywant Singh, a professor of marketing at Kingston University, says stringent new rulings on broadcast and print advertising will do little to combat the problem because of the rise of ad channels like YouTube and Instagram which cannot be regulated in the UK. (Petter, 2017)

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Instagram is a tool used by companies to advertise their products. Unlike billboards or television, which are also more expensive, this technique allows lots of potential customers from different parts of the world to see the product or service they are providing. Statistically ‘Instagram’s potential advertising reach is 1.16 billion users’ with 69% of the users being female.

Adverts have always used the marketing strategy of persuading you to buy a product by making you think you need it. Creating the illusion that their products will magically make their lifes so much better.

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https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/rave/reader.action?docID=6644529&query=social+media+21st+century+

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No one knows for sure, but there are plenty of theories including:

• dreams assist in memory formation

• problem solving and creativity

• Training evolutionary survival strategies

• … or simply are a product of random brain activation

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https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/rave/reader.action?docID=6680902#

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Nicole Ocran, an influencer with 28,000 followers who set up influencer union The Creator Union last year, says the content on her Instagram that has had the most engagement during the pandemic is less than glamorous.

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Nicole Ocran, an influencer with 28,000 followers who set up influencer union The Creator Union last year, says the content on her Instagram that has had the most engagement during the pandemic is less than glamorous.

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“unhealthy diets and become obsessed with exercising, principally to lose weight”. (Gunter, B 2021 pg.88) 

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“unhealthy diets and become obsessed with exercising, principally to lose weight”. (Gunter, B 2021 pg.88) 

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A series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep.

The scientific study of dreams is called oneirology. The perceived events in dreams are generally outside the control of the dreamer, with the exception of lucid dreaming.

Dreams mainly occur in the rapid eye movement (REM) sleep stage. Here, brain activity is high and resembles that of being awake.

They can last from 30 seconds-30 minutes

Most dreams are forgotten- average person has 3-5 dreams per night

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In this new, highly anticipated update of her pioneering Killing Us Softly series, the first in more than a decade, Jean Kilbourne takes a fresh look at how advertising traffics in distorted and destructive ideals of...

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In this new, highly anticipated update of her pioneering Killing Us Softly series, the first in more than a decade, Jean Kilbourne takes a fresh look at how advertising traffics in distorted and destructive ideals of...