While photo editing has been around for decades, for the first time in history so many people access these powerful digital tools to change their images. And, in such a very human manner, they tend to use these tools to alter their pictures beyond all recognition.
We’ve gathered some examples from across the internet of people who really got carried away with photo editing tools and still posted themselves online. We also got in touch with Dr. Cortney S. Warren, PhD, ABPP,a clinical psychologist and Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry to learn more. So get comfortable as you scroll through, prepare to raise one, if not two eyebrows, upvote the most questionable examples and be sure to share your thoughts in the comments below.
#1 “Fashion Model” With 225k Followers. The Second Picture Is His Real Face
#2 “Influencer” Posted These Asking Only For Positivity On Her Crazy Photoshop
#3 His Jawline Is Definitely 100% Real, No Editing
We got in touch with Dr. Cortney S. Warren, PhD, ABPP, a Harvard-trained, California-based board-certified clinical psychologist and Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry at the UNLV School of Medicine to learn more about body image issues. First of all, we wanted to hear her thoughts on the difference between editing photos for “fun” and doing so out of a deeper need for approval or validation.
“A person’s motivation for editing a photo for social media can influence the psychological experience of viewing, posting, and getting feedback about an image. For example, sometimes people play around with photo editing for fun—to be silly, see what they look like with different makeup, or even project what they may look like in the future.”
#4 That Small Head Trend
#5 Influencer’s Posts vs. Tagged
#6 This Popped Up On TikTok. The Second Picture Is What She Actually Looks Like
“If they are doing that on a photo of themselves (or a photo of someone else with that person’s permission), it may be a fun experience that doesn’t influence their own body image in a negative way. However, often people use photo editing because of a sometimes unconscious insecurity about how they look.”
#7 The Pictures Were Taken On The Same Day
#8 When You Preach Body Positivity And Then Chop Your Waist Into Oblivion
#9 A Guy From My Hometown, Bet You Wont Be Able To Guess Which Photo Is The Tagged (And Subsequently Untagged) One
“For example, if someone is editing a photo because they only want to show an idealized image of themselves (for example, they want to look “perfect”) or are looking for “likes” and positive feedback from others, the editing may be an ineffective or even harmful process. For example, if someone is posting an edited image of themselves in hopes of feeling more beautiful, attractive, or wanted but they don’t get enough likes or positive comments, they may feel worse after posting the image more than before,” she shared.
#10 “Everybody Tells Me I’m The Same, Or Even Better In Real Life”
#11 Posted vs. Tagged. She Actually Looks Really Good For 72 Y/O But Can’t Help Herself With The Photoshop
#12 Posted On Insta vs. Tagged At Festival
So we wanted to know if social comparison on platforms like Instagram and TikTok played a role. “Many of the idealized images that are presented on social media platforms are highly edited. These can influence a user’s body image negatively through a social comparison process.”
#13 Social Media vs. Real Life
#14 Posting A Fake Version Of Yourself On Facebook And The Real One On TikTok
#15 Fitness Influencer Posted vs. Tagged
“As humans, we naturally tend to compare ourselves to others to determine how we measure up in our community and culture. When people look at idealized, edited images of peers, friends, and celebrities, they are likely to deem themselves as falling short or not meeting cultural expectations. This can make people feel more dissatisfied with their own physical appearance. For example, a recent meta-analysis of 83 studies found that higher social media use was positively associated with body image concerns and eating disorder symptoms.”
#16 Her Own Instagram vs. Tagged Photo… It Was Untagged Real Quick
#17 One Of The Biggest Influencers In My Country, Literally Hundreds Of Thousands Of Little Girls Idolize Her Unnatural Body
#18 Posted Versus Tagged. I Struggled To Believe These Were The Same People
So we also wanted to know if there are specific parts of the population that are more “pressured” into presenting a certain body image. “In general, I think people feel pressure to present themselves in the best way possible. That isn’t inherently bad—it makes sense that most of us want to show an image of ourselves that we think looks good.”
#19 A Girl On Fb Posted This Guy Who Catfished Her
#20 No Words
#21 Instagram vs. Twitch Livestream
“For the most part, celebrities, actors, models, and other influencers post highly idealized images of themselves looking successful, happy, and physically attractive. But, it is important to remember that the images are NOT representative or realistic. In addition, social pressure to be “good looking” can be particularly problematic because it sets many people up to be chronically dissatisfied with how they look.”
#22 Posted vs. Tagged
#23 Photoshopping vs. Real Life
#24 What She Posted vs. What The Clinician Posted
“Furthermore, during some developmental phases—especially through adolescence when most teens care about their peers, are often interacting with social media, and want to belong to a similarly-aged group—it can lead to thin-ideal internalization and eating pathology.”
#25 This Instagram “Influencer”
#26 Photo Posted On Her Instagram vs. Interview
#27 This Local Influencer Insists On Only “Lightly” Editing Her Instagram Pictures. She Also Continues To Make TV Apperances That Really Don’t Help Her Case
“According to Backlinco.com, over 60% of the world’s population uses social media with 5.24 billion active users. As people are exposed to idealized images in social media outlets, recognizing that they are often edited to represent an unattainable ideal that can have damaging effects on body image is important to prevention of eating pathology.” If you want to learn more, you should also check out her books Letting Go of Your Ex and Lies We Tell Ourselves: The Psychology of Self-Deception.
#28 Social Media vs. Tagged. This Popular Chick In Discord Gaming Communities Really Warps Her Head/Chin/Neck Smaller To Get Bigger Chest
#29 Posted vs. Tagged
#30 Instagram vs. Youtube Video
#31 Why Do People Do This?
#32 She And Her Friend Showed Their Natural Selves In A TikTok Video And Everyone Is Praising Them For Being Real. But All Her Instagram Posts Still Look Like This
#33 All Her Pics Are Like This… Thats The Only Tagged Picture With No Filters, She Obviously Forgot To Delete It
#34 2 UK Influencers Got Posted Unfiltered By A Modeling Agency
#35 Bless Wikipedia For Keeping It Real
#36 Come On Bruh
#37 Her Instagram Post vs. Tagged One
#38 Great Instagram Tactics
#39 Maxim Covergirl “Finalist” I Finally Saw One In Real Life. Video vs. Posted Photo. Same Day
