We reckon you’ve known for a long time now that, the popular photo sharing app, Instagram, hasn’t exactly been very beneficial for your mental health.
In fact, the term Instagram Envy is an actual thing — not to be confused with regular jealousy and FOMO (fear of missing out).
From Instagram celebrities and influencers posting photographs of their luxury vacations, slender bodies and oh-so-amazing life, Instagram isn’t exactly the best app for people with self-esteem issues.
According to the UK’s Royal Society for Public Health, the app is found to be the most detrimental to our mental health — more so for young and impressionable women. But that’s not to say the older generation doesn’t know what it’s like to feel it.
While apps like Snapchat, Facebook and Tumblr can play a part in ruining the self confidence of individuals, Instagram seems to have the worst affect on people.
Don’t believe it? Watch the video below and see all the findings from this experiment:
Got Instagram envy? First of all, don’t fret. Everyone, including celebrities, feel that way sometimes. Here’s what you can do:
If you’ve ever seen behind the scenes videos of photo shoots and watched reality television shows like So Cosmo and Keeping Up The Kardashians, you’ll know that what you see in the magazines isn’t always what you get.
Don’t believe us? Just check out this set of photos from Bangkok-based photographer Chompoo Baritone. He shows just how manufactured these photos you see on social media are.
Unless they’re actual models being shot for a magazine spread or advertisement campaign, most of these Instagram models have to go out of their way to get everything from the right lighting, the right posture and everything else correct for the perfect shot.
Plus, if you’ve watched America’s Next Top Model, you’ll know that to get that “effortless-looking” walking shot, models need to keep going back and forth.
See how professional model Coco Rocha has to mimic a natural jump shot below:
Imagine doing that in public for everyone to see — all for that one perfect Instagram photo.
Seriously, start purging your Following list if you have to.
If there’s a particular account that’s making you feel bad about yourself, unfollow it!
Ah, this one’s a bit of a struggle considering how you can’t escape it.
But make it a point not to scroll through the discover page because you might just see photos or videos that could trigger you.
Just because you’re on Instagram, it doesn’t mean you have to play the game of posting photos just for the sake of likes.
Instead, be the change you want to see and post photos that you feel good. From photos of your friends and family to photos of relatable memes. Trust us, you’re going to be way more appealing to your followers than those accounts that curate their Instagram so painstakingly.
- TAGS:
- Health
- mental health
- wellbeing
- Wellness