“Instagram vs Reality” Exposes The Truth About Those Unrealistically “Perfect” Pics (2024)

Table of Contents
Those “perfect” celebrity pics you see on Instagram are far from the casual snaps they appear to be Hours of make-up, flattering poses and all kinds of editing take place before the “everyday” shot is uploaded onto social media Instagram vs Reality Trend Comes to the Rescue “I can’t get over the difference! Don’t believe what you see on Instagram folks” “Excuse me what…” “One for the boys out here. Magazines are just an illusion” Why Do We Enjoy Reality vs Instagram Photos? Watch the full video below “A campaign photo for Good American. You’d expect Photoshop, but possibly at a more professional level” “Lips fillers Insta vs Paparazzi” “Coachella, the content farm” “Instagrammers are ruining California’s super bloom” “Kylie Jenner (same day on Instagram vs. on TV)” “That moment when your eyebrow glitches through your hat” “Body so hot the Colosseum and the fence gets distorted” “Melania Trump’s official White House portrait” “Calf day was clearly not on the schedule” “Wait, are we ashamed of our hand lines now? Nobody told me? I’ve been showing them in public like a total chump!” “Who are these people” “Makeup artist highlights what facetune really can do” “Instagram vs. Youtube” “Make sure your friends are Photoshopping too” “I’m 29 and until I found this sub I thought the “no pore look” was just excellent makeup I feel silly now, but also relieved” “Instagram picture vs. interview two weeks apart” “Her own Instagram vs. Tagged photo… It was untagged real quick” “Face lost 20 kgs?” “Instagram vs. Red carpet” “I always was so jealous of her” FAQs References

“Instagram vs Reality” Exposes The Truth About Those Unrealistically “Perfect” Pics (1)

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We all know that most people share an idealized version of themselves on social media, cherry-picking only the best images, thoughts, and experiences to share with the world. But some Instagram celebrities have taken this concept to the extreme, creating Instagram vs reality versions of themselves.

They bombard their followers with photoshopped images that are so far from reality that they can sow seeds of doubt in some people’s minds, leading them to strive for an unrealistic body image at great cost to their self-esteem and mental health.

Those “perfect” celebrity pics you see on Instagram are far from the casual snaps they appear to be

Image credits: lowkeykathyyyy

Hours of make-up, flattering poses and all kinds of editing take place before the “everyday” shot is uploaded onto social media

Image credits: nokia621

Instagram vs Reality Trend Comes to the Rescue

Luckily, some people see the problem in this and are trying to uncover the fakery that goes on behind the scenes of infamous Instagram photos. Previously, we featured Swiss blogger the_truth_is_not_pretty, who posts honest, real images side-by-side with ones that have been given the ‘Instagram treatment.’ This time, Bored Panda has an amusing and quite shocking “Instagram vs Reality” funny video by YouTube star Ethan Klein, who exposes the ugly truth of fake Instagram pictures behind some of the more famous influencers.

“I can’t get over the difference! Don’t believe what you see on Instagram folks”

Image credits: ohhithere21

Delivered with his usual comedic flair, Ethan skewers the obvious trickery that some of these influencers get up to on a regular basis in their Instagram posts. It all goes to show that everything you see online has to be taken with a pinch of salt, and under no circ*mstances should you compare yourself unfavorably to these people. They aren’t what they want you to think they are!

“Excuse me what…”

Image credits: runescape_girlfreind

“One for the boys out here. Magazines are just an illusion”

Image credits: Instagramreality

Why Do We Enjoy Reality vs Instagram Photos?

Away from the buffed and polished images we are presented with daily, it can actually be refreshing to see the human side of the famous people we admire. Social media initially gave us this opportunity to look behind the curtain. Sadly, though, most social media accounts of celebrities are now run by teams of advisors and managers who don’t allow anything to be shown unless it has been carefully vetted first.

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While we admire, respect, and even idolize some celebrities, setting high expectations for ourselves, we somehow crave reassurance that they are human, too. It helps us to relate to them on a deeper level. Magazines with headlines screaming “Cameron Diaz without Make-Up” or “Beyonce’s Acne Problem” always sell well because they give people a little peek behind the perfectly-curated curtain of an Instagram filter vs reality. Still, perhaps it would be easier if there was less fakery, illusion, and lies in the first place.

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If you’ve doubted yourself because of the seemingly perfect things you’ve seen on social media, watch the video below to see how Instagram vs reality body images distort our perception of ourselves. Share this article with your friends so that more people can see through the fakery and start appreciating their image!

Watch the full video below

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“A campaign photo for Good American. You’d expect Photoshop, but possibly at a more professional level”

Image credits: Imadadjoke

Image credits: tinysighs

Image credits: unknown

“Lips fillers Insta vs Paparazzi”

Image credits: Instagramreality

“Coachella, the content farm”

Image credits: Instagramreality

“Instagrammers are ruining California’s super bloom”

Image credits: unknown

“Kylie Jenner (same day on Instagram vs. on TV)”

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Image credits: nokia621

Image credits: biccabong

Image credits: paklowpanda

“That moment when your eyebrow glitches through your hat”

Image credits: Eddy_Wapp_

“Body so hot the Colosseum and the fence gets distorted”

Image credits: RadAway-

“Melania Trump’s official White House portrait”

Image credits: nokia621

“Calf day was clearly not on the schedule”

Image credits: Hlokty10

Image credits: mykidzRbad

“Wait, are we ashamed of our hand lines now? Nobody told me? I’ve been showing them in public like a total chump!”

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Image credits: unknown

“Who are these people”

Image credits: _co*ckgobblin_

“Makeup artist highlights what facetune really can do”

Image credits: savannah098

“Instagram vs. Youtube”

Image credits: LonelyFleur

“Make sure your friends are Photoshopping too”

Image credits: anonymousnosy

“I’m 29 and until I found this sub I thought the “no pore look” was just excellent makeup I feel silly now, but also relieved”

Image credits: lazerbrownies

“Instagram picture vs. interview two weeks apart”

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Image credits: shane-jabroni

“Her own Instagram vs. Tagged photo… It was untagged real quick”

Image credits: damnwhatanasshole

“Face lost 20 kgs?”

Image credits: kyliesuicidie

Image credits: unknown user

Image credits: mdk15

“Instagram vs. Red carpet”

Image credits: unknown

“I always was so jealous of her”

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“Instagram vs Reality” Exposes The Truth About Those Unrealistically “Perfect” Pics (2024)

FAQs

Why does everyone on Instagram look perfect? ›

People only post their best photos. Photos they've gone to all angles for, filtered, photoshopped, etc. Even when people are trying to pass off as natural, they're still editing their photos. People on Instagram edit their photos to the point where things like pores, wrinkles, and even skin texture don't exist.

Are most Instagram photos photoshopped? ›

A study conducted by Case24 found that 71% of people use FaceTune before posting a picture of themselves on Instagram. FaceTune is an editing app that allows individuals to reshape their bodies and change their features.

What does Instagram vs reality mean? ›

This is a form of online social activism where women post two images of themselves side-by-side: an ideal 'Instagram' version that is perfectly lit and posed (e.g. stomach muscles held taut) to show their best attributes, and a more realistic version with more natural pose (e.g. visible stomach rolls).

Why do pictures look weird on Instagram? ›

If there is a quality issue, for example if the posted image seems less 'crisp' than the original, this is probably because your post is saved for a 'Print' usage (300 DPI). When we save the file in our server, it is not "a simple copy" of the file and the file size can increase, reducing quality.

Why Instagram is full of beautiful people? ›

The platform's algorithm is designed to show users content likely to generate engagement, but it disproportionately promotes revealing images of women who fit traditional beauty standards. This occurs in part because such images tend to receive high engagement, which the algorithm then amplifies.

Is Instagram becoming less popular? ›

In previous years, people were largely using Instagram to post or share photos and videos. The numbers aren't changing much in 2024 with the Kepios report showing that 70.4% of users are using the platform for this reason.

How can you tell if a photo has been photoshopped? ›

There are a few ways to tell if a picture has been edited in Photoshop . One way is to look for any inconsistencies or abnormalities in the image , such as disproportionate body parts or unnatural lighting . You can also try using a reverse image search tool to see if the same image has been used elsewhere online .

What is the most photographed thing on Instagram? ›

1. Eiffel Tower, Paris. Built in 1889, and famous to this day.

Why does Instagram worsen the quality of photos? ›

The resolution of the original photo is low: Instagram compresses photos to save space on its servers, and if the resolution of the original photo is low, the final result will be more pixelated. The photo size is not correct: Instagram recommends uploading photos with a resolution of at least 1080 pixels wide.

Are Instagram photos real? ›

As you scroll through Instagram posts, you believe you're looking at a glimpse into friends and celebrities' actual lives. It's natural to assume the pictures people put on their profiles are what they look like as they walk around every day, but that's often not the case.

Is Instagram hyperreality? ›

Hyperreality is a reality that is completely real, even above the real. This reality will eventually replace the previous real reality. In 'instagramable' photos and videos, it is a deconstruction of real reality. The reality that is displayed on Instagram is very different from the self or something that exists.

What is Instagram vs realist? ›

The "Instagram versus reality" trend started as a way for people to remind their followers not to believe everything they see on social media. For every perfectly angled and edited glamorous shot, there are at least a dozen less flattering versions.

Why do I look so bad in Instagram camera? ›

it's the compressing algorithm of Instagram. It is the same for WhatsApp, Facebook and other third party apps. Well, the camera on Instagram is of very poor quality. I never liked the quality of the pictures taken on Instagram, and I don't think any influencer on Instagram takes pictures from the Instagram camera.

Why does Instagram ruin photo quality on stories? ›

If you have a really high-quality camera, it might be too high-quality for Instagram stories. When the photo or video you're adding to your story is larger than the limit, Instagram will compress it, making it appear blurry in your story. You can fix this problem by decreasing the photo and video size before uploading.

Why do peoples profile pictures flip on Instagram? ›

When people visit your profile, the image will automatically flip over, once you've activated the option. It's a simple way to spark more avatar engagement, and another step towards Meta's next-level vision.

How do Instagram models look so perfect? ›

While models may be gifted with great genes, or work out obsessively, very few can stop there. If they can have beautiful, spotless bodies, so can you. It's no secret that Instagram models shape their bodies with contouring treatments and spot fat reduction.

How do people make their Instagram look so good? ›

13 tips to make your Instagram posts more attractive
  1. #1 - Use post templates. You absolutely can post just a plain photo on the Feed. ...
  2. #2 - Choose great filters. ...
  3. #3 - Pick your photos wisely. ...
  4. #4 - Be meticulous. ...
  5. #5 - Optimize your lighting. ...
  6. #6 - Be unexpected. ...
  7. # 7 - Use the grid (your camera grid) ...
  8. #8 - Shake up what you share.

Why do people look so different on Instagram? ›

It's natural to assume the pictures people put on their profiles are what they look like as they walk around every day, but that's often not the case. Photo-editing software continues to advance, allowing people to totally transform how they look in pictures.

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