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In the age of Instagram, what began with a ‘light touch of contouring’ has now turned into a ‘light touch of a nose job’.

 

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Let’s face it, as a generation glued to our smartphones, we all take guilty pleasure in wanting to be in-the-know about our favourite celebrities and influencers. The ‘influencer aesthetic’ has majorly grown in popularity over the last few years; I can’t even walk into my local pub without seeing a girl with filled lips swallowing her face and fake boobs up to her chin. You see, it’s not just the money-fuelled ways of living that celebrities are inspiring, mundane members of the public are morphing their appearances to match those we see on our screens. In a time where acceptance of diversity is supposedly broadening, the fact that getting a bit of filler is more normalised than just being content with what we were born with is deeply disheartening.

 

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During adolescence the lack of authenticity on social media and the fact that every post on Instagram is most definitely face tuned becomes prevalent. But, what about the kids that are on social media? My 11-year-old cousin recently asked me “Did you know Kylie Jenner has had plastic surgery?” and the question lingered in my mind for a while. The realisation hit that children are looking at these silicone-filled personalities and thinking that this is a natural and attainable aesthetic which they could achieve with a bit of makeup.

 

 

Children who consume social media are unconsciously being exposed to unrealistic beauty standards. Stafford Broumand, a certified plastic surgeon based in New York, discussed this idea in an article published late last year and stated that “kids don’t realise those people have been altered, and morphed and Photoshopped.” With age comes wisdom and the older you get, the more aware you become of a bit of botox or a boob job. When my cousin asked me that question about Kylie Jenner, I was taken back as I assumed the answer was obvious. The thing is, children who have smartphones are open to content that they are too naive to digest, meaning the influential figures in their lives need to take action. They need to ensure children are aware that everything they see on their phones is not as black and white as it may seem.

 

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Social media is a great platform for people to feel accepted and an increasing number of Instagram accounts, like @thenakediaries, are surfacing that post anonymous photos their followers submit of a roll or stretch mark to promote body-positivity. Sadly not all accounts are as raw and honest; Instagram influencers are so-called ‘normal’ people who create a desirable life, which seems within reach for the average person. Although many people like to bash bloggers, there is a lot of pressure on them to consistently look flawless and many of them are turning to surgery. According to a poll from the American Academy of Facial Plastics and Reconstructive Surgery, “Surgeons are seeing a 31-percent increase in plastic surgery requests as a result of how people want to present themselves on social media accounts.” The fact that these influencers are turning to life-risking surgery for the sake of likes on a post is a puzzling motive.

 

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Everyone has insecurities, I’ve had my fair share of bullying about everything from my weight to the size of my forehead. Hateful comments by school mates turned into self-deprecating thoughts and I began obsessing on ways to make myself look ‘prettier’ for the approval of others. Over time, I began focussing on ways to appreciate what I had and stopped trying to change myself. I don’t look like Kim Kardashian and that’s perfectly okay. The acceptance of diversity and changing the idea of a ‘flaw’ to a ‘uniqueness’ is the greatest healer of mental health. Instead of fixating on appearance, focus on headspace. If you desperately want a nose job because your favourite influencer just got one, it’s not the right motivation to go under the knife.

 

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Social media can become overwhelming and the pressure to look a certain way applies to a lot of people, from childhood to adulthood. At the end of the day, plastic surgery is not always the answer. If you have an insecurity, learn to own it. No plastic surgeon can fix what’s going on in your head, only you can.