The temptation to over-edit our Instagram photos has reached an all-time high in recent years. We’re all well aware that the world of social media has conditioned users to view the world through an altered lens. But, what’s less frequently admitted is how social media causes many users to view themselves through a shameful lens too.

Instagram has become a gold mine for both advertisers and influencers. But, it’s now a platform where toxic mentalities on body image have only become worse, putting money into the pockets of those who perpetuate them.

Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s amazing that Instagram has become a platform for content creators to cultivate a mass following that can transform into their own communities. However, far too many of these influencers aren’t necessarily using their influence for good. 

Society often acknowledges that toxic misconceptions about looks and body image are caused by media platforms like Instagram. Yet, the problem is continually perpetuated by influencers who have the capacity to ignite positive change and actively do not. 

YouTubers James Charles and Nikita Dragun, both of whom have several million subscribers and Instagram followers, filmed a video over the summer called “Facetune Battle.”

In the video, they challenged one another to edit makeup looks and outfits onto pre-existing photos. For the most part, it was a light-hearted and clearly exaggerated challenge. However, the two at times would alter their faces and body figures to better fit Instagram’s vision of “perfection.”

How these influencers choose to edit their photos is, of course, their prerogative. But, I can’t help but wonder how many of their viewers (many of whom are teenagers) watched the video and felt like their body shape was “wrong” or that they need to start altering their photos too.

Advertising has also been at fault for promoting unhealthy body images and ideas of dieting. Several major influencers, including the Kardashians, have been promoting weight loss products, such as “detox” teas. 

However, on Sept. 18, Instagram announced that it will be removing posts pertaining to dieting products and cosmetic surgery, reported USA Today. Furthermore, they will be adding age restrictions to certain types of content related to body image. 

The change was sparked by actress Jameela Jamil, who founded i Weigh, a movement dedicated to inclusivity and body positivity. 

Jamil shared a post on Instagram to announce the news and explained that “after a bunch of shouting, screaming, and petitioning … we have managed to get the attention of the people at the top, and they have heard us and want to protect us.” 

She went on to explain the new restrictions that Instagram will now be expecting its users to eliminate toxic misconceptions of body image, as well as the promotion of unhealthy dieting products. 

While these changes won’t entirely fix the problem, it is certainly a step in the right direction. Ads can be extremely influential without us even realizing it. When a suggested ad is promoting a product such as “tummy-flattening tea,” it is infiltrating users’ subconscious, furthering their concept of the “ideal body shape.”

Even more frequently, influencers post self-made advertisements for these products, misleading their followers into thinking that these are healthy and normal products to use. So, Instagram’s efforts to remove these posts altogether will certainly aid in eliminating these harmful mentalities. Still, there’s much more work to be done. 

I often think about how impressionable I was as a teenager, and I feel grateful that the Instagram we know now didn’t exist back then. But why did it have to get to this point?

The community of influencers that spans across social media platforms isn’t all bad, as there are incredible creators who have used their platform to promote positive change.

But, in order for real change to occur, there must be a united effort across the whole spectrum of social media, making the role that influencers play absolutely crucial.