Uniquely You

Photos and story by Zoe Brown.

Clout-chase culture of Instagram has created an expectation that imperfections are intolerable. It is easy to lose yourself in this culture, becoming obsessed with the number of likes you get and relentlessly comparing yourself to those around you in the digital sphere. 

Even celebrities have fallen victim to the infectious culture. People like the Kardashians have not only had plastic surgery on their faces and bodies, they dare to photoshop their photos and lie about both. Actions of celebrities like the Kardashians have a trickle-down effect to women and girls like me and more harmfully, girls much younger than me. We all use the same platform to post our content. By looking at which posts do best on the app, one can gather that less skin and more editing equals more “likes.”

If plastic surgery is something you want and can afford, by all means, go ahead. If photoshopping your photos is something you want to do, go ahead. But Kardashian-like bodies come at a cost. The sacrifice of integrity for the sake of an Instagram post contributes to the cesspool of visual falsity which negatively impacts the way we all see ourselves online and in real life. 

These images represent imperfection and uniqueness as beauty. Scars, freckles, and bumps are what make us who we are. They are what make us beautiful. Self-improvement is a good thing, but wanting to change yourself to fit someone else’s mold for what is beautiful is not. True beauty does come from within. Your skin tells your story. Your imperfections are what make you unique.