Since social media has been criticized for presenting a distorted reality, the body-positive movement started to appear as an “antidote”. Body positivity is the idea that all people should have a positive body image, regardless of their size, shape, or appearance. The goal of body positivity is to create a more inclusive and accepting society, where people feel comfortable and confident in their own skin.

Sara Puhto is one of the body-positive influencers that is spreading a message of what a normal body looks like on her Instagram account saggysara. “I post daily reminders to help people see the “reality” behind posed photos, and the curated aspects of photos, and with filters, I have touched on comparison photos to show how different filters alter our natural faces. To help people realize they shouldn’t compare themselves to what they see online,” shared Sara.

Usage of filters on social media can have long-lasting consequences. When people use or see filtered faces and bodies, they start to accept it as a norm, and because of that, their self-perception changes. There was even seen a rise in plastic surgery related to filters. Most of the procedures requested are on the eyes, nose, and lips. “I’ve had a few messages saying that people have wanted plastic surgery to look like filters (eg. lip filler). In all honesty, I have had this thought too around 2 years back during covid where I only really saw filtered faces online but never ended up getting it and had to take a moment to unpack why I felt the need/want to get lip filler and realized it wasn’t something that I personally could justify doing at the time.

I’ve also heard other people say that filters negatively affect their self-esteem as they see the beauty filters as enhancing certain 'in trend' aesthetic aspects that they don’t feel they have naturally,” shared Sara.

“I personally don’t use them on my page and if I do they’re more of the 'silly' ones and with the beauty filters I only use them to show the difference between my natural face and the filter,” added Sara.

There has been a lot of discussion about the use of photo filters and editing tools on social media, and the impact they can have on people's body image and self-esteem. Some people have called for more transparency when it comes to the use of filters, similar to how sponsored posts are labeled on social media.

“The ease with which we can use filters and then post that photo as a post and it doesn’t state anywhere that the photo is filtered, I think that increases the unrealistic/unattainable standards that people think they should look like the filtered versions of themselves naturally,” shared Sara.

To promote positivity on body image, it is important to engage with body-positive accounts on social media, share your own body-positive content and messages, educate yourself about the harmful effects of social media, support body-positive organizations and campaigns, be mindful of the language you use when talking about bodies and appearance, practice self-care, and encourage others to embrace their unique qualities and celebrate their bodies. By taking these steps, you can help to create a more inclusive and accepting society where people of all shapes and sizes feel valued and confident in their own skin.

“I attempt to ground/remind my followers by showing them reminders of the curation and behind-the-scenes of Instagram photos and to see that at the end of the day, so many things on the human body that we have labeled as ‘flawed’ are actually so normal, they are a part of us, a part of being human and being alive. We shouldn’t feel ashamed of these absolutely normal human aspects,” Sara added.