PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Have you ever found yourself scrolling, comparing your face and body to a filtered façade of another woman?
If you answered yes, then it’s important to know you’re not alone. Every single day, images portraying unrealistic beauty dominate social media feeds, which trigger feelings of inadequacy for millions of women. Some say they’ve had enough of the toxic algorithm.
Virginia Beach-based swimwear designer and personal trainer Callista Gifford DeHart spoke to 10 On Your Side’s Lauren Martinez about the adverse affects platforms like Instagram and TikTok have had on her body image.
“All you see are the same body types over and over and over again,” DeHart said. “It kind of gives you this mentality that you have to be that standard and that’s what you need to strive for.”
As an older millennial, DeHart’s internal struggle with self-confidence began long before the selfie phenomenon, but social media amplified her lack of confidence.
Now 38, she’s able to leave her insecurities in the rearview mirror. However, she said working with models is a reminder that the vicious online cycle of filtered beauty is crippling the self-esteem of yet another generation of women.
“Those are two very hot industries that have that stereotype,” DeHart said. “It’s really not a productive mindset to be in.”
Speaking of those younger generations, Jaeyln Gebre, a 22-year-old college student, said she feels anxious before posting online. Based on a 2022 survey from McKinsey Health Institute, Gen Zers are “more likely than other generations to cite negative feelings about social media.”
Gebre represents a large group of users whose confidence can fluctuate based on engagement, or lack thereof, with their content.
“I feel like it’s definitely affected how I think, like I’m super self-conscious even when I post myself on Instagram,” Gebre said. “When I do post myself, I just question myself a lot. And I definitely think at times it makes me feel insecure too.”
University of Virginia Professor of Clinical Psychology and Director of Clinical Training Bethany Teachman has been studying anxiety for 25 years and said those feelings are not uncommon.
“Part of what we see are challenges of when people are engaging in that kind of unhealthy way,” Teachman said. “Instead of using it to build social connection, they’re passively scrolling and judging themselves. That’s when we see those harmful effects, and it absolutely can be devastating when that plays out.”
Some women feed so much into social media’s idea of perfection, they feel pressured to go under the knife to enhance their look, like 38-year-old Katieuska Guzman.
“I went through weight-loss surgery when I was in my late twenties, and that took a really big impact,” Guzman said. “I got off of social media completely. I wouldn’t take pictures from the neck up. But once I got my surgery, you couldn’t tell me anything. I was taking pictures from the toes up and everywhere.”
Although Guzman found instant gratification post-surgery, the results didn’t quite rid her of a negative self-view.
“You’re still not happy because now, after surgery, depending on how much weight you lose, you have saggy skin,” Guzman said. “You compare yourself to people who go to the gym.”
The cosmetic surgery decisions are influenced by an overly made-up influencer aesthetic, and the most in-demand, non-invasive procedures are Botox and lip filler, according to Refined Aesthetics Registered Nurse Kayla Matthews.
“It’s just people not understanding what’s real and what’s fake anymore,” Matthews said. “I get a lot of people that bring me a picture of a celebrity or an actress or an influencer.”
Matthews said the most in-demand non-invasive procedures are Botox and lip filler.
It’s apparent social media is here to stay, but Matthews suggests not allowing the online pressure to be perfect to be the reason you alter your look, as most people don’t need any procedures.
In the end, some say it’s all digital deception.