Nowadays, Instagram has become so widespread, it feels like we’ve been using it forever. However, you might be surprised to know that it was launched less than 15 years ago, in October of 2010. The application, used for sharing photos and videos, was founded by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger and quickly became one of the fastest growing apps of its time.

On its very first day, Instagram attracted roughly 25,000 users. The number grew to 100,000 in around a week, and reached its first million just a couple of months after. Nowadays, there are over 2.35 billion monthly active Instagram users.

With such a huge number of active Instagrammers out there, it’s no surprise that the quantity of content is pretty jaw-dropping as well. Photutorial revealed that roughly 1.3 billion images are shared on Instagram every day; the vast majority are used for stories and in chats and around 100 million are uploaded as posts.

The popularity of the app fueled the rise of social media influencers. Now, in 2023, there are around 40,000 of them with over a million followers, and nearly 2 million with more than 100,000 followers on Instagram alone.

Whether it’s influencers or people completely under the radar, many use social media to express their opinions or send out a message. It’s the perfect way to do it, as social platforms provide instant connection and can reach people all over the world. And that’s what helps certain trends or views spread like wildfire.

Even though some trends pre-date Instagram—the rise of the infamous duck face in the early 2000s, for instance—a lot of them wouldn't have become a thing without the help of the app. A great example of that is Murad Osmann’s story that started with one picture and the title ‘Follow Me To’.

Due to the extent of its popularity, Instagram—and social media in general—has influenced the way we view the world. When the app was first launched, cameras on people’s phones couldn’t produce images of great quality. To remedy that, the company introduced filters so that the users could alter the pictures and make them look better. Despite having different views on what better means, people would often edit the images in a way that was popular at that time.

Nowadays, there are filters that can smooth out your skin, change the color of your hair, make your nose look thinner, eyes bigger, and so on and so forth. The possibilities are nearly endless, which is why a lot of people modify their pictures before uploading them on social media. When it comes to young women, for example, as much as 90% of them use filters or photo editing tools on their pictures before posting.

A 2020 study revealed that roughly two-thirds of people edit their selfies before posting them online. It also pointed out that in such self-portraits, people retouch their skin and facial shape the most. They usually try to achieve a sharper jawline and higher cheekbones.

Quite a few examples of Instagrammers adjusting these features in their pictures can be seen on this list as well. Unfortunately, they might have overdone it a little, as some of them look far from realistic. 

Filters have become so influential, some people want to become the filtered version of themselves in real life. The Independent revealed that some social media users turn to plastic surgeons to alter their looks according to what they see on the screen.

To make matters worse, beauty standards altered by social media affect people from a very young age. Dove Self-Esteem Project pointed out that at only 13 years old, 85% of girls already use filters or photo editing tools on their pictures. It’s sad but not surprising, considering that social media platforms are brimming with images people have enhanced before posting.

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), reducing social media use can significantly improve the way teens and young adults feel about their bodies and overall appearance.

In the APA article, the senior scientist at the CHEO Research Institute, professor Gary Goldfield pointed out that it is linked to the unattainable standards presented online. “Social media can expose users to hundreds or even thousands of images and photos every day, including those of celebrities and fashion or fitness models, which we know leads to an internalization of beauty ideals that are unattainable for almost everyone, resulting in greater dissatisfaction with body weight and shape.”

Unlike superstars and fitness models, people in these images go to the other end of the two extremes. Instead of enhancing their looks, they often end up with features that range from looking funny to simply being anatomically incorrect.