Celebrities Using Editing Software for Social Media Photos
Celebrities using photo editing software like Photoshop and Facetune isn’t something new. Celebrities like the Kardashian’s, Brittney Spears, and Angelina Jolie made it more popular in the 2000’s era. Now that millennials and Generation Z are trying to normalize and push mental health and common disorders, these celebrities are being criticized by the media and everyday people for claiming to have body and skin that isn’t natural.
The TikTok’s shown in the video above shows multiple perspectives on the issue of celebrities (especially the Kardashian’s) using editing software like Facetune and Photoshop to make their skin look perfect and their bodies look snatched. You can find multiple examples of altered photos of celebrities on social media, online (Viktorija Gabulaitė, 2017). Of recent, Khloe Kardashian was bashed on the internet when her Grandmother, Mary Jo, posted an unedited picture of Khloe in a bikini. Khloe’s team did everything they could to wipe the photo from the internet. Khloe then took to social media to explain why she wanted the picture taken down so badly. She showed off her real body and then went on to write about always being the “fat sister” and being judged by millions has caused her to have body image issues.
As shown in the video, some felt sympathy for Khloe and understood where she was coming from because they had dealt with similar things in their past when it comes to body image issues and being bullied. Others brought up race and how the Kardashian’s and other celebrities do hairstyles and try to make their bodies resemble that of a black woman. Yet, the most talked-about topic was on celebrities editing their photos leads to social comparison, which in turn leads to an eating disorder and other mental health conditions.
“Psychologist Leon Festinger proposed the theory of social comparison in 1954. He believed that people have an innate drive to evaluate themselves. According to social comparison theory, individuals determine their own social and personal worth based on how they measure up against others” (Newport Academy).
For example, teens often compare things like attractiveness, wealth, popularity, and talent to those of their peers and celebrities through highly edited photos on social media. This then leads to a downplay on their own accomplishments and body image, resulting in not feeling like enough.
In turn, this brings on a whole new list of problems, like eating disorders, depression, pushing yourself too hard, anxiety, and more (seen in Fig 1).
“Comparison is the thief of joy.” -Theodore Roosevelt
A study was done in 2016 on 138 females that showed, “Despite the above limitations, the present study has clearly demonstrated that exposure to celebrity and peer images on Instagram can have a negative effect on women’s immediate mood and body dissatisfaction. These findings considerably extend previous research, which has largely investigated exposure to fashion model images in women’s fashion magazines, in terms of both content (to celebrities and peers) and format (to Instagram). Accordingly, the results illustrate the ever-expanding role played by the mass media in contemporary body image” (Zoe Brown & Marika Tiggemann, 2016).
As seen in figure 2, 70% of women between the ages of 18 to 30 years old are dissatisfied with their bodies. As you can see in the video, many of my peers, including myself, are a part of that 70%. We have all altered our daily eating habits or exercise regime due to the content we encounter on social media as well as felt less confident or comfortable in our own skin.
Although conditions like depression, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder can cause early death, “eating disorders- including anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and binge eating- are the most lethal mental health conditions according to research in Current Psychiatry Reports” (Smink FR, van Hoeken D, Hoek HW., 2012).
I think celebrities need to be more mindful of the fact that millions of teens are analyzing and socially comparing themselves to their content. It’s sad that for the Kardashian’s and many others, that this has become their brand and how they make money. It may seem like a small thing to make your waist look a little smaller in a photo, but the effects of that are monumental in the mental health issues it causes for teens.
Many think that celebrities and their peers look insanely beautiful in their unedited and natural form. I’m happy to see that influencers like Remi Bader (a recently famous TikTok influencer who does realistic try-on hauls) and Lizzo (a famous American singer and rapper) are pushing that all bodies are beautiful no matter what shape or size they are. The female body is capable of so many things, let’s start showing them off in their natural form and appreciating it.
1. Become aware of, and avoid, your triggers.
2. Remind yourself that other people’s “outsides” can’t be compared to your “insides”
3. Repeat whenever necessary: “Money doesn’t buy happiness, and never will”
4. Be grateful for the good in your life, and resist any lies that shout “It’s not enough”
As for celebrities editing their photos: in a perfect world, they would all stop and love and respect the bodies they have and work hard to achieve. I respect celebrities that are open about the fact that they edit their photos and I especially appreciate the celebrities and influencers that have decided to stop editing their photos after the recent incident with Khloe Kardashian. What’s sad to me if most of these celebrities cover up their acne, make their thighs or waist smaller, and their butt’s bigger because they’re covering up their own insecurities.
I think the question they need to ask themselves is, “Is it worth covering up your own insecurities to then pass them on to thousands or even millions of others that look up to you?”
According to a new study, “71% of people won’t post a picture online without Photoshopping it first.” This is something that needs to change and celebrities and influencers are where it starts.
