You’re scrolling through your Instagram feed and you come across a post that’s being sponsored by some off-the-wall or maybe even some major company. The picture is noticeably edited and the product being advertised appears to be life-changing, which makes you crave the kind of lifestyle that is being portrayed and gives you the urge to by the product. We’ve all seen these accounts. And you wonder—how did this person’s Instagram career get here? Why can’t I have this easy lifestyle of getting paid to post on Instagram like I do anyway? The truth is, it’s not as simple as it appears to be and the lifestyle isn’t as great as it comes off to be.
The first step to becoming an influencer is to “build up” your feed on social media, especially Instagram. It is important to make sure each picture that is posted is perfectly manicured so that it will potentially receive hundreds of likes. It is also important that each post matches the “vibe” of the rest of your Instagram feed so that it is more appealing to potential followers. Attention to a post is shown in the form of “likes,” and with this, the more attention the post gains, the more followers the account will have. Suddenly you are on your way to becoming an Instagram Influencer.
Being an Instagram influencer is all about looks. Every single picture has some sort of filter, and apps like Facetune and photoshop are used to make the influencer look more physically attractive. An influencer from Switzerland, Kim Britt, breaks this down by showing side-by-side pictures comparing pre-editing vs. post-editing. “Her point is that it's so easy to manipulate these tiny snapshots with poses, lighting, filters and editing apps, and that what we see on Instagram does not reflect how we look the majority of the time” (Scott, 2019).They make people like us want to be some unattainable versions of ourselves because power, fame, and money are all tied to this. Instagram influencers make money based on their physical attractiveness and how much attention they get for it—that’s what keeps them “in business”. It makes us crave these three things. Personally, one of my best friends considers herself to be an Instagram influencer, and I oftentimes get a small peak inside what goes into the editing and posting of her pictures. It takes her almost an hour to completely edit, adjust, and “Facetune” the picture—and don’t forget, it takes multiple tries to take the perfect picture—and then she makes sure that it fits with the rest of her posts as well as thinking of an appealing caption. Hours go into the making of one Instagram post for influencers. With all of this being said, we must keep in mind that filters and photoshop are not reality. Even as non-influencers, we still find ourselves using the filters Instagram hands us. I mean, in order to post a picture, you are forced to at least look at the different filters and edits that can be applied. It’s honestly so upsetting how much we want to alter our appearance to look like an unattainable version of ourselves.
Not only do these types of posts have an effect on how we view the standard of beauty, but they affect influencers as well. Influencers heavily rely on Instagram for their income, meaning they are constantly online. Being on social media all day everyday can take a toll on anyone’s psychological well-being, which is why influencers are more likely to be at risk.Many influencers claimed that “they felt tied to a static, inauthentic identity” and that “they often lamented their inability to put down their phones and laptops and said they were constantly online” (Gritters, 2019). The seemingly perfect lives that these people live isn’t as great as their pictures capture them to be. They are sitting behind a screen all day focusing on their appearance, their followers, and how much attention they’re getting. Just imagine doing that for a living. Sure, it may boost your confidence by knowing other people are looking up to you, but really, it’s a vicious cycle of constantly comparing yourself to others.
With all of this in mind, Instagram influencers shouldn’t always be seen in a negative light. They increase brand awareness and can go about doing so in a realistic way by capturing the true reality of its impact on their lives. However, this is oftentimes not the case, as they try to use their attractiveness to persuade their followers to want to be like them.
This false sense of identity is negatively affecting our perceptions of ourselves. Instead of trying to photoshop your way to happiness, be aware that nobodylives their life through the lens of a filter. Instagram influencers understand this; however, they are caught in this vicious cycle because that is their reality—that is their job.
Resources:
Gritters, Jenni. (2019). How Instagram takes a toll on influencers’ brains. The Guardian.
I love this topic. You touching on the fact that all of the Instagram influencers have plenty of edits and adjustments before they post and influence show that these posts should not be the standard. However, because they are the standard, people go to great measures and stress to look like a post that isn’t even real. This is insightful and needs to be talked about more. Thank you.
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