In a previous interview with Bored Panda, the Instagram Reality moderators told us exactly why some people alter their pictures so much. “Insecurity, envy, money. Take the girl sitting next to you in Statistics who's scrolling through her latest selfie shoot and disappointingly thinks to herself, ‘[Damn], is that a pimple? I can't let people see that, it's embarrassing.'”

“She casually opens up FaceTune, smooths out the pimple, and boom—now there's an image she feels comfortable sharing online. Unbeknownst to her, there's a seed that's been planted in her mind now that it's as easy as using this app to change anything she finds unattractive about herself at any time, then it snowballs; from taking in just a bit of your tummy for a more slender silhouette until eventually she's landed on a waist the size of her neck."

According to the Instagram Reality moderators, people start off with small changes and alterations which eventually leads to bigger and more noticeable alterations.

“The light improvements are so gradual over time, she stops noticing that the waist she's creating is 1.) of course, not hers 2.) (as we often see on Instagram Reality), anatomically impossible, and 3.) that she's now set an expectation subconsciously for herself (and outwardly for anyone following her) that she needs to keep up this flawless appearance; which means sticking to the edits she's made for every photo she posts in the future. What she doesn't realize is in this process, she's simultaneously creating and constantly reinforcing her own insecurities."

The mods told us that everyone wants to be loved, desired, and to feel like they belong. “The harsh, scary truth of the matter for anyone is that the more you resemble what people around you consider universally attractive, the more likely you are to have access to those things in your life.”

“So, you begin to think, ‘Well, what do I need to change about myself to fit in? How do I become more attractive?’ Based on what magazine covers and many an Instagram Explore page shows you, that image is a tall, long-haired, fair-skinned woman with smooth skin, a slim yet hourglass figure—oh, and don't forget, the perfect butt. In comes photo editing apps, offering you the chance to finally be her. Even if it's only online."

The Instagram Reality subreddit, created 2 years ago by u/Zaza9000 who wanted to create a platform to expose the fakeness of IG to people who are being fooled, is a great supporter of inclusivity. “All races, body types and genders need to be fairly represented in the media. In the long run, the only way to reduce our obsession with self-image is to normalize those we see in the media; not just celebrating how they look, but who they are as a person."