Social media, or socially self conscious? conscious? socially self Social media, or Does a #nomakeupselfie still count if I use a slumber filter with slight saturation, contrast and an autotone? Is a #wokeuplikethis selfie still likeable if I’ve applied my makeup, combed my hair and adjusted the lighting, all before I’m back in bed? These hashtags sound empowering on the surface, but how many of them are genuine?
Harriotte Lane; Miss Teen Great Britain harbours her alternative lifestyle via social media. Between the hours of 9am to 3.15pm Monday to Friday, Harriotte is an ordinary 15-year-old school girl. Her Instagram profile however, portrays the lifestyle of a professional pageant queen. So which girl is the real Harriotte Lane? On weekends she trades in her navy blue blazer, school tie and tartan skirt, for a glamorous floor length designer ball gown. As I scroll through her social media feed, I see the professional photographs of a full-time model; not a young school girl. With over 10.6k followers on Instagram, Harriotte uses her social media fame as an online extension to her modelling portfolio, she tells me: “Instagram has been one of the best ways to promote myself as a model, I’ve had international contract offers just from what agencies have seen of me on there.” New models are no longer found by chance; they’re found on Instagram. Global modelling agencies use Instagram as a scouting tool, IMG invites its followers to hashtag #weloveyourgenes for a chance to be scouted. An online opportunity such as this only amplifies existing pressures felt by young girls around creating an unattainable online profile, all in the hope of becoming the next Gigi Hadid. “Oh my God! My last selfie only got 25 likes, I’ll have to delete it.” I overheard a young girl saying to her friend. Sadly it appears that the number of likes you receive online, now defines your self worth. 64% of Instagram users in the UK are female, which means 64% of users are scrolling down their news feeds to see Insta-famous women portraying an illusory lifestyle. How can the average 18-year-old girl measure up to Emrata, the 25-year-old Instagram supermodel? Unedited Emily Ratajkowski will not look like photoshopped Emily Ratajkowski. Scrolling through Monika Young’s Instagram feed, I see a flurry of comments along the lines of “why can’t I look like this?” And “you’re amazing!” However Monika is quick to point out that her: “Instagram profile is only images, and not my real life.” We must stop comparing ourselves to a body ideal that doesn’t actually exist, these images we see flooding our social media feeds are fuelling the growing list of our body insecurities. We are in the midst of redefining the word celebrity. You no longer have to be a member of an elite social group that congregates in LA. Nowadays, if you have over 10k followers on Instagram; you are one. Social media is responsible for breeding this new generation of celebrity. Followers, likes and comments are actual currencies these days, selected users are paid hundreds of pounds to promote online. 95% of users I asked admitted to endorsing products on Instagram, Harriotte Lane expressed she is often: “Offered cash” in exchange to advertise; however claims she is: “Very selective with what I upload, I wouldn’t promote a product that I wouldn’t be happy to recommend or buy for myself.” In contrast one 17-year-old Instagram user, who has 15.6k followers admitted he: “Isn’t phased about what I advertise as long as I’m paid.” Brands exploit and undermine the authenticity that Instagram once built itself on in order to illiberally promote themselves online.
We can’t talk about Instagram without talking about the Kardashians. No matter who you are, you’re only a few taps away from seeing something Kardashian related online. The most controversial sister of them all, 19-year-old Kylie Jenner. With over 77.3 million Instagram followers, Kylie is one of the most influential girls on Instagram right now. We’ve watched her face transform before our very eyes, speculation about her inflating lip size started in 2014, when she was just 17. According to Teen Vogue the most googled beauty question of 2016 was “How do I get Kylie Jenner lips?” One year on from the accusations, Kylie admitted to undergoing cosmetic surgery. Little did she know, her confession would spark a beauty revolution among young girls online. The Harley Street Skin Clinic confirmed: “A 70% rise in lip filler enquires leading on from her announcement.” Generation Z is selfie obsessed. Digital vanity is at an extreme high- the photos we post online now define who we are and what we stand for. It is not surprising that women account for 91% of all cosmetic procedures in the UK, given the contrived social media lifestyle we are bombarded with daily. Selfie editing apps have become increasingly popular in recent years. It’s estimated that over 1 million selfies are taken everyday, since 2014 the Perfect365 editing app has been downloaded 17million times. These apps do not limit users to adjusting filters, these apps allow users to modify their body shape. Skinnier legs and a thinner face? There’s an app for that. Editing to this extreme is dangerous. What happens after you’ve spent half an hour perfecting your selfie? You feel unsatisfied with the real reflection you see in the mirror, and you’re left comparing yourself to the unachievable person you’ve just created on your phone. Sadly for many social media consumers, obsessing over a selfie has become a normality in everyday life. All users can relate to the anxious feeling they experience whilst their image is uploading, and the dread of how their new selfie may tarnish their pristine online alter ego.
OH WHAT A BIG FOLLOWING YOU HAVE! Social media conveys an idealised life- not a real one. Whether you’re scrolling through a celebrities profile or insta-stalking that girl who you sit opposite in class, we must all remember the world of acai bowls for breakfast, and perfectly filtered selfies is all fake. Shockingly in 2016 only six plus size models walked at New York, Milan, London and Paris Fashion Week. Perhaps if the media didn’t indoctrinate us with an unattainable beauty ideal, then maybe we wouldn’t all hide behind 3 filters everyday. Are you brave enough to simply be yourself on Instagram? We must rebel against the overly edited selfie epidemic that has infected our society. Are you brave enough to simply be you on Instagram? I dare you to post a real photo and find out.
OLD IS THE NEW BLACK In contrast to the obsessive selfie culture, which has dominated the lives of our millennials, our older generation do not not seem to feel the same angst towards the digital world. 59 and 25-year-old father and son, Arthur and Christian Ball, disregard societies pressures to conform.
Models - Arthur Ball Christian Ball