Photo Editing for the Wrong Reason
Over the years, people, not only women, have put a major emphasis on external beauty. If you take a look at an understanding of beauty, say fifty years ago, you will notice small differences and changes just in this short timespan.
Take Marilyn Monroe for example; a fifties sensation, a beautiful American actress and a major sex symbol. She often wore make up and most likely used other methods to maintain her reputation. Beyoncé Knowles, another much more modern beautiful woman in the entertainment industry, is often seen with make up, perfect skin, perfect hair, etc. When seeing this we often fail to realize that these tools were used to enhance beauty, not determine it.
On the website Instagram, a place where you are allowed to post pictures of yourself, filters and other picture alterations aren’t excused. People will very seldom use “Normal” or “#nofilter” in order to provide a natural look. According to blog.bufferapp.com, “Instagram’s filters are arguably the most unique function it has as a social media channel. With the likes of Twitter and the new iOS7 adding in the capability of adding filters directly to your photos through your device, Instagram filters are what help make the platform unique. But what are the filters that are used the most; are they the ones that also harness the most interactions from your Instagram followers?”
But why use filters in the first place? Personally, I believe that filters sort of clean up and cover up pictures that have been taken. They clean up “flaws” or things that people may be ashamed of, and they cover up by using background colors and different shapes and sizes.
So then what does this say about generations to come? I think that if we continue to mask ourselves, we will realize that we are completely unrealistic. Our society has been covered up and distracted with fitting the perfect image; whether that be literal or metaphorical.
“…We try to fix something but you can’t fix what you can’t see
It’s the soul that needs the surgery…” (Beyoncé Knowles, “Pretty Hurts”)
Take Marilyn Monroe for example; a fifties sensation, a beautiful American actress and a major sex symbol. She often wore make up and most likely used other methods to maintain her reputation. Beyoncé Knowles, another much more modern beautiful woman in the entertainment industry, is often seen with make up, perfect skin, perfect hair, etc. When seeing this we often fail to realize that these tools were used to enhance beauty, not determine it.
On the website Instagram, a place where you are allowed to post pictures of yourself, filters and other picture alterations aren’t excused. People will very seldom use “Normal” or “#nofilter” in order to provide a natural look. According to blog.bufferapp.com, “Instagram’s filters are arguably the most unique function it has as a social media channel. With the likes of Twitter and the new iOS7 adding in the capability of adding filters directly to your photos through your device, Instagram filters are what help make the platform unique. But what are the filters that are used the most; are they the ones that also harness the most interactions from your Instagram followers?”
But why use filters in the first place? Personally, I believe that filters sort of clean up and cover up pictures that have been taken. They clean up “flaws” or things that people may be ashamed of, and they cover up by using background colors and different shapes and sizes.
So then what does this say about generations to come? I think that if we continue to mask ourselves, we will realize that we are completely unrealistic. Our society has been covered up and distracted with fitting the perfect image; whether that be literal or metaphorical.
“…We try to fix something but you can’t fix what you can’t see
It’s the soul that needs the surgery…” (Beyoncé Knowles, “Pretty Hurts”)
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