Instagram: it's a great place for the strong-minded and food bloggers. Not so much for young, impressionable girls. Having recently deleted the app, I can safely say that I am no longer lifting my cheekbones in the mirror or turning to the side every morning to see if my tummy is 'flat enough' and my bum is round enough.
Whilst I appreciate all the good Instagram can do, for many people it is place to compare yourself to unrealistic standards, to question your own self-worth, and to feel inadequate. We all know that people use filters, edit their content, and at the least, post their most flattering photos with great lighting and perfect makeup, displaying their 'best' angle. That said, when you are exposed to these seemingly perfect people day in day out, that look becomes the norm, the average, the standard, which you then feel you are inferior to. Those people become the people you compare yourself to, which can be so damaging to your self-esteem.
I'm sure that even Angelina Jolie has some insecurities (not that I can even begin to imagine what they are), so in that sense having little things you don't like is normal. But, constantly and consistently engaging in things like Instagram is only going to exacerbate these issues. Not only that, it can create issues. Perhaps you liked your lips before, but now that you've seen how plump and juicy every Instagram model's are, you now feel like yours simply can't be big enough! You start thinking: how can I possibly be beautiful when everyone looks this perfect? How can people find me attractive when this is what they are absorbing every day? Well, let me tell you how. You be yourself. You focus on all of your great qualities, lips included. You get realistic and think, how important in the grand scheme of things is the shape of my lower tummy? Look up at the stars and realise just how massive this universe is and just how little it matters. Then think about if one of your friends felt insecure about the same thing as you, would you tell them that they're not enough, that they need to fix it, that everyone else is prettier than them? No. So please, don't talk to yourself that way. Not only does it not matter - because who you are and what you stand for is by far the most important thing - it can also stop you from feeling great and doing things you love. Don't let something like Instagram make you feel like less than you are because you are enough.
You have to remember that people will fall in love with you for you, but first, you have to love yourself. It sounds a little cheddar cheesy I know, but it really is true. Don't let people with artificially enhanced cheekbones make you feel like your soft and lovely cheeks aren't lovely enough. Try not to get absorbed into the app; instead, look outside and think about how many people actually look like that - very few. Regardless, what everyone else looks like is irrelevant because you are unique and gorgeous.
P.S. Remember that when you see everyone commenting on those models' posts saying "you look unreal", take it literally because very little about that photo is a reflection of reality.