Social media allows us to curate our lives for others to see.
We all have that one friend whose life looks absolutely perfect on social media. What we don’t always realize, however, is that much of what we see online isn’t real. If it is real, it’s carefully selected to show off the best aspects of that person’s day-to-day life. After all, no one wants to look their worst in photos and other posts on the internet, right?
Instagrammer Sara Puhto is bucking that trend by showing all the ways that people alter photos online in an effort to stop us from being too hard on ourselves when we don’t look or feel perfect.
Puhto, who goes by the name @saggysara on Instagram, takes pictures often where her stomach is relaxed and shows what that looks like next to her body when it’s posed and sucked in. She looks totally different, which she says is the point.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BWker7MliPS
She also tackles Photoshopped pictures, which she says many celebrities post to look even thinner than they already are.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BWC7lHvlKwn
She says the angles are everything when it comes to photos. Everyone has “bad” angles, so worrying about it too much can make you crazy.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BWSPmwBlTmk
Even clothing sizes can make someone question their body, with different companies using different standards.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BWuamdvFK7n
Puhto also makes the point that hormones and body composition can look different depending on a variety of factors, including if someone has their period.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BSDvrwTlvsf
It’s a really important message for people to hear. Even though Puhto has many people’s “dream body,” she still shows that insecurities plague everyone.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BU4ISuSlyx7