“Proof That Social Media Is Fake”: 35 Heavily-Edited Photos By This TikToker Showing Just How Fake Social Media Can Be (New Pics)
InterviewAccording to a recent study of social media users in the UK, a whopping 71% of them said they won’t post an unedited picture of themselves online. 54% said they prefer to touch up imperfections on their skin, nearly half admitted to editing their faces to create a sharper jawline and higher cheekbones, and 46% noted that they’ll edit their arms in photos when they’re unhappy with the way they look. All of this obsessive editing creates a vicious cycle of comparing ourselves to other people’s equally edited photos, and then feeling the need to keep up appearances by using more and more filters and apps to fit in with the rest of our feeds.
It’s no secret that editing has gotten out of hand on social media, but it’s still a topic worth bringing up time after time until the compulsion comes to an end. That’s why TikToker Holly Cockerill won’t stop calling out how fake social media is. Over the past couple of years, Holly has been sharing videos online showcasing just how easy it is for people to edit pictures beyond recognition and portray a false version of themselves on social media. We’ve covered Holly’s videos once before, about a year ago, but as she’s continued spreading her message of how fake social media is, we’ve decided to share even more of her photos with you all down below. We were also lucky enough to get in touch with her via Instagram, so be sure to keep reading to hear Holly's thoughts on this topic!
Don't forget to upvote the pictures that you find most shocking, and then let us know in the comments how you feel about the endless editing found on social media. Then, if you haven’t checked it out already, you can find Bored Panda’s previous article featuring Holly’s photos right here!
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If my SO felt the need to edit me beyond recognition in every photo, I'd question our relationship
I’m going to write this up here because I was confused, and thought it seemed a bit mean to highlight just one person doing this, BUT it says above she is doing it on purpose to showcase how fake it is, the title isn’t clear enough I think as everyone else saying, “no, why does she do this” has also missed the point! And I’ll just add, the title sounds like they’ve uncovered her doing this.
Load More Replies...This is not even a filter: she totally replaced her face with someone else!
So she made his crows feet worse in order to whiten his smile .. hmmm...
just why? They are much more attractive the way they really look, instead of those painted on faces
She forgot to remove her love handle wrinkles or are those surgery or knife wound scars.
Load More Replies...If only there were outTernal organs you wore in a purse or on your belt.
Load More Replies...How do people get the unfiltered picture? These are strange times man. Those filters make them look f*****g stupid and fake. That first couple pictured, they looked better unfiltered! I almost think some of those filtered pics out there must be a joke because it looks so stupid and so bad, certainly any reasonably intelligent human would see how ridiculous it looks right?
But she’s pretty before already! Edit: oh yeah I didn’t read the title)
She’s showing the real photo and an edited one, to show how easy it is to change your appearance with filters. She’s not trying to fool anyone, but expose fakery online
Load More Replies...I just dont understand actually changing features entirely, like people wont even know its you!!! Dont you WANT to look like you....?
This one isn't so bad as far as distorting reality- she just gave herself some make up and he got better lighting.
She’s really pretty before tho (at least she didn’t edit out the smile tho, her smiles rlly nice;
Holly is a social media creator, makeup artist and support worker for people with learning disabilities who is based in Blackburn, England. And lucky for us, she was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda via Instagram about how this series came to be. The last time we spoke with Holly, she shared, “I enjoy making people laugh, so I started making funny videos on Tik Tok,” she said. “But I had a passion for makeup, and that’s why I created my makeup page. That’s where my ‘Instagram versus real life’ videos are.”
When asked what inspired this particular video series, Holly told Bored Panda, "Social media is fake. Don't be fooled.” She then explained that the idea appeared after she posted a few photos years ago where she had visible acne. She noted that those pictures received a positive response, so she decided to create more and more content on the topic of exposing social media.
It seems like these filters are insanely powerful. How many clicks does it take to add all that hair?
Just because you edit the picture so you look better, it doesn't make it real!
This one is ridiculous- lol. Again- Major photo-editing skillz! Just remember - the whole thing is ON PURPOSE- to showcase exactly how much YOU CANNOT TRUST WHAT YOUR EYES TELL YOU - on the internet
i have ALWAYS thought this about duck face lips! thank you for validating!!
Load More Replies...When a camera was left in the jungle as an experiment, every single chimp that picked it up made this face. I remember that every time I see a person doing this... they are no better than a chimp.
its the same person in every photo shownig how fake social media is!
Load More Replies...All she did was add makeup and let her hair down...thats hardly fake
I see nothing wrong with the original photo. Why does everyone want to look like they had major plastic surgery now days?
Seriously- her original just needed better lighting~ Just remember - the whole thing is ON PURPOSE- to showcase exactly how much YOU CANNOT TRUST WHAT YOUR EYES TELL YOU - on the internet
Every one can tell this is edited. Seriously. Enough already, why to people think others can't tell. I appreciate the outing of edited images.
That filter makes hoes look stupid and generic. It’s like the American version of Japanese Geisha
Holly also understands how hard it can be to resist the urge to compare yourself to others on social media; none of us are immune to that temptation. “I’m guilty of always scrolling through Instagram and seeing ‘perfect’ selfies with the perfect life, and it made me feel so bad about myself. I'd constantly compare myself to these fake images,” she previously told Bored Panda.
“I then started seeing accounts showing celebrities and popular influencers on social media versus real life, and I couldn’t believe the difference.” That’s when Holly started creating her own ‘Instagram versus real-life’ images. “It made me feel so much better after I had girls message me saying my posts were helping them, so I continued to do them,” she shared.
Yes, I know this is edited on purpose but there are so many others who edit their photos to replace a beautiful genuine smile with this wannabe seductive "f*ck me"-expression. I don't understand why someone would want to look like this. There's nothing pretty in it...
Now I'm wondering if there is someway to make that pup even more adorable!!!
no he's already adorable to the max >:D
Load More Replies...Her face looks plastic! Just put on some makeup and go with who you really are! Why be fake?
Hey don't forget to filter the dog! How is it that we are able to see the original if its not posted??? Anyone??
doggy looks the same. Shame people have to go through so much trouble.
Not sure why flounder lips are attractive. I cant tell if thats good makeup or total photoshop.
Load More Replies...all she needs for the right pic to look just as good as the left WITHOUT using a filter is a little concealer or a lightweight foundation to cover red spots/pimples and even out her skin tone, a blotting paper to absorb the excess oil (cuz she obviously has oily skin like me), and a little lip gloss. that's all.
But that would change the point of the pictures. She wants to look real on the right and show just how fake so many of these pictures are on the left.
Load More Replies...ok, yeah, this right here ain't the best picture of her at all...😬😬😬
This time around, we wanted to first check in with Holly and see if she had any major updates to share since the last time we interviewed her. “Since we last spoke a year ago, I feel as though more people are calling out the fakeness!” Holly told Bored Panda. “I’ve seen a lot more videos like the ones I do. I still see people use the editing app, but it’s still an improvement I think!” she added with a laugh.
hi friend, everyone in the article is the same person, she is is showing how fake the filters are !!
Load More Replies...Pro tip: take all selfies in front of wood grain so no one can tell when the background curves around your body!
She is in most of these. So shallow to change your face for every pic you take.
Why are young girls making their faces orange now? It looks terrible. P.s. Your face shouldn't be a different color than your neck lol
And this is why women and girls have problems accepting their own body
Totally unnecessary, but what the filter does to the hair is very good!
hi friend, everyone in the article is the same person, she is is showing how fake the filters are !!
Load More Replies...In the real one she looks genuinely happy. The edited one looks so posed
the edited version looks like plastic Barbie dolls. The real photo is great.
Load More Replies...What in the world is going on with her leg? For some reason that just doesn’t look right
Supposed to be a slimming pose, but usually done more subtly.
Load More Replies...Curious as to why she constantly photoshops out her smile and replaces it with 👁👄👁
hi friend, she is is showing how fake the filters are !!
Load More Replies...Why do all the women want to stand in this position? It looks ridiculous. It looks to be the thing to have a big butt. At least I wont need to photoshop that in!
She should have added rib bones in her edits, as they would be showing at that ridiculous weight.
Left photo: Khloe Kardashian, blow up doll? Right photo: Real girl, proud and accepting of herself. Which one do you choose? And we have Kim Kardashian & Kylie Jenner to blame.
the edited version makes her legs and butt look fat! Why would someone intentionally do that?
We also asked Holly if she thinks social media will always have these heavily edited photos or if the trend will die out eventually. “I hope the trend will die out eventually, but realistically, there will always be people using it to feed their insecurities,” she shared. “Social media is a big platform for people to make a lot of money on, so if, say, a beauty influencer makes money off of her (edited) pictures, then I doubt they would stop.”
Yes, girls always put on make-up for the pool. Always. Oh why would I post such a photo.🙈
This woman is using photoshop to make a point about how fake social media pics can be.
Load More Replies...When did these wasp-waist blow up dolls become popular? Women used to be put down for their "fat a*s" and now they get implants! And giant breasts that almost kill them when the silicone leaks... what has happened to this generation? We were "all natural" in the 1960's and I can't believe how far it's changed. Stevie Nicks was beautiful and one of the most prized females in the world and no one went for plastic surgery to look like her. We all just enjoyed the "way we were." Please bring this back now!
Read the title of the article, she's making a point
Load More Replies...hi friends, everyone in the article is the same people, she is is showing how fake the filters are !!
What's with everyone wanting cookie cutter teeth? Try to be satisfied with the look God gave you!
Because she's showing how easy it is to show how fake social media is. Read the intro
Load More Replies...I realize that the reason for this post is to show how editing is done but I still don't understand why these bloggers want to make their butts so big.
Poor Khloe Kardashian... she thinks she has to look like this to find love. It hasn't worked for any of her sisters, and it hasn't worked for her. She's pretty and funny all on her own and I hope she - and the rest of us - starts posting "before" and "after" editing photos of herself HERE and maybe she can gain the self-confidence we all NEED!
Once again, fat a*s and giant hips and wasp waists... what's next, the bustle? Kardashians already brought back cinching one's waist with the dangerous and ridiculous "waist trainer" which "trains" *NOTHING* but can damage internal organs.- when will women wise up? A man doesn't care how big your body is in *certain* parts except in the very beginning. Later he just wants you nude in the bed! And if love will come, it won't be come with a tape measure or a needle full of botox or filler.
I want to state something on behalf of not-so-well-butt-gifted ladies. II cannot imagine wanting to have a huge keister. Finding clothes must be difficult. The staring would annoy the c**p out of me. And the idea people are putting foreign s**t in their bodies to appear like that is beyond brainless to me.
When it comes to what Holly would say to anyone who feels the need to heavily edit their Instagram pictures, she told Bored Panda, “I would say to really start working on yourself and learn to love everything about you. Even your flaws. It’s what makes you, YOU. If everyone was the same the world would be a boring place. People would probably respect you more by showing your real self instead of lying to everyone. You would also probably start to learn to respect yourself too.”
“And as I always say, never believe everything you see on social media!” she added with a laugh.
It's funny how the filter sharpens the fake face so much that it doesn't even look like part of the same photo.
I don't understand this big hip/butt aesthetic. Her hips in the original pic look so much better. But then, I took ballet for years and we all had a completely different look than today's look. Our teacher was always saying "tuck in your butt".
Surprisingly, it looks like they gave her hips and slightly thickened her bottom half in the edited pic. I still prefer the un-retouched, but at least they were somewhat realistic with this body edit.
If you’ll notice a lot of these look like the same face transplanted on their bodies
You're missing the point. Read the title of the article.
Load More Replies...The original picture could give a lot of (young) people a lot of confidence. Looking happy and beautiful, with all our imperfections :)
Plus find a way to silence or ignore the junior or high school bullies who tortured us for any little breakout or acne or *any* slight difference in the way we looked! It started there, not just on social media.
Load More Replies...This girl has some mad editing skills though the results look pretty fake to me.
One is human. One is fake. Which is more beautiful? The real human or the Photoshop skills?
She edits all her pictures - Do people even recognize her in real life?
Read the title - she is demonstrating how "influencers" edit their photos. She does not have any issue with people knowing what she really looks like.
Load More Replies...Why do all these filters look like Kim Kardashian?? Is there a Kardashian filter? If so, it needs to be destroyed!!!!
Load More Replies...Be the real you! You are cute without all the fake changes. Confidence maybe?
Why didn't she remove the stains from his shirt while she was at it?
"“And as I always say, never believe ANYthing you see on social media!”"
Most plastic surgeries on girls/ women today all seem to look like Kim K. Sad, really.
If you were gonna edit something out, do something about the very obvious stain on his t shirt.
Tbh the edited version doesn’t even look good, I waaaay prefer the unedited version
We also asked Holly if she believes there is a healthy way to use social media. “I would suggest unfollowing people that make you believe you aren’t good enough and make you question yourself or your life,” she shared. “Start following more people whose posts make you feel better and good about yourself. I started following accounts of girls who had acne when I was younger, as I suffered with it too, and it made me feel so much better.”
First time I've seen someone make their thighs bigger. Body shape "trends" are so weird. I do not understand the current super sized hips/butts & tiny waist. They look like cartoon characters...🙄
Yeah, it really illustrates how popular conceptions of beauty are completely malleable... There really isn't a universal standard of beauty (beyond maybe symmetry) because the ideal keeps changing in different places at different times.
Load More Replies...Yep. There has to be some Kardashian filter. Please somebody find it and destroy it! How did she become the definition of beauty?
That's probably just what heavily editing turns into. Do enough editing and plastic surgery you become Kim k by default.
Load More Replies...Why do all these people put there hair up just to edit in fake hair down? And she already (LI-like most people in this) looks great without the filter.
Because she’s showing how people edit themselves, you know, the topic of this article?
Load More Replies...Holly previously told Bored Panda that she understands how damaging these photos and filters can be on impressionable audiences. “These young people look up to influencers and want to be like them or look like them,” she shared. “And if those influencers are using an app that changes everything about themselves, then it’s making normal people question why they don’t look good enough.”
“People start to hate themselves, which then can cause serious mental health problems,” Holly continued. “They are comparing themselves to life like ‘avatars’ that don’t even exist, and it’s scary. Young people will get surgery to look like their idols, when really, those idols don’t even look like they portray themselves online.”
I never realized that you could substitute a mouth and add make-up. The dog is cute though.
Was she crying? Did she really just edit her emotions away, denying herself any chance of real connection? This just screams loneliness to me :(
hi friend, she is is showing how fake the filters are, but i agree with you that this was a weird picture to choose
Load More Replies...The question being, are people who fake their photos to look like the left so very unhappy with themselves they are that emotionally down?
“Everyone has flaws, texture, scars, etc., but seeing perfect images all the time makes you feel like you shouldn’t,” Holly previously shared with Bored Panda. “It’s dangerous.”
“I’ve seen a lot more people talk about the fakery on social media, and I’ve started to follow accounts that make me feel better and happy instead of following those that make me question my self-worth,” she noted.
“It’s so refreshing to scroll through Instagram and actually enjoy it again. If more people showed their true self, then more people would relate to it.” Holly also added that she has hopes that the pressure to look perfect all the time will soon go out of style.
Dude, she’s perfect. U do realise how rude that is, right?
Load More Replies...What could possibly need editing at all in the photo on the right? She's so real, so attractive. Then she makes a mockery of her own natural beauty. What an idiot.
Literally the whole point of this thread is to educate people on how far filtering has gone. She's not an idiot.Theyre are now Snapchat Dysmophia clinics because there are kids spending hours a day seeing edited faces and they are losing a sense of what is real and what isn't. Read the actual post. Disrespectful to a person who is doing something positive.
Load More Replies...Do you think these type of posts are all just entirely (photo, description and implications) staged pictures or is she actually going out somewhere in the real world dressed up nice and just edited to look better?
She is creating photos to intentionally photoshop to show how fake social media can be :)
Load More Replies...We hope you're enjoying this reminder that you really never can trust everything you see online. If you ever feel the temptation to heavily edit your pictures, remember that it's better to look like yourself than some false version that no one else would recognize in real life. Keep upvoting the pictures that you find most shocking, and then let us know in the comments how you feel about editing photos for social media. Then, if you're interested in checking out even more of Holly's content, you can find our previous article featuring her right here!
Imagine the surprise when the “real” couple show up. How do you change that?
They wouldn’t be surprised in this family’s case since she’s doing this to make a point, but in other people who edit it unironically and seriously, then yeah that must be embarrassing to be unrecognizable
Load More Replies...He also changed his own appearence -- hair, eyes, beard, smile -- he's either just playing with the filters OR hes truly dissatisfied with himself and that is so sad
Isn't this the same girl on most of these posts, with her oh-so-altered boyfriend?
The guy looks like a cartoon character. They both look great in the real picture.
Oh yes, everyone is smiling and laughing and still having perfect makeup after a workout at the gym./s
I think though nowadays people look at the ‘after’ one and know right away it’s edited.
Probably has something to do with looking like Kim k
Load More Replies...Even filtered, its not a natural pose for an expression so why do they think this looks real?
it sucks that the bump in his nose is edited out i think its really cute!
she posts these to show people how fake social media is. These are not to glorify filters...Its written in the article that no one who keeps saying things like this read.
Load More Replies...Why is it that people have to pretend to be something else other than themselves, this is so sad and doesn't say much for our society.
If I was this guy, I'd be seriously offended that she feels I'm not good enough without editing.
hi friends, everyone in the article is the same people, they are showing how fake the filters are !! (maybe the "perfect male" template is Donny Roelvink tho haha)
Load More Replies...Is the boyfriend happy knowing that she doesn't like how he looks either?
Her jeans look like they dont sit properly in the edited shot too. Its bad.
You look amazing in the natural photos, better than in the enhanced ones. I can definitely see what you mean about how fake social media can be though. Thanks for posting this!
She’s normally really good at the editing, but this one has missed the mark! I can’t stop staring at the places where her eyebrows end.
Maybe in her view the eyes were beyond fixing. Next one she’ll just add on a hat and face mask.
Load More Replies...Wtf. The smile looks so real. Crazy filters nowadays- great post though!!! She's about to wake up some people.... Hopefully 😅
Yea I didn’t realize you could change a smile so much and didn’t realize they change their hair so much either. I have never used filters before.
Load More Replies...Yes but it’s on purpose. She calls out other people. She is showing how easy it is to use filters.
Load More Replies...think so, i think the ai confused her crow's eye/ a shadow on her face with hair lol
Load More Replies...She's doing this on purpose to show how fake social media is
Load More Replies...she got a bigger butt i guess but her arm looks weaker to me?
Any tiktok rubbish always goes over the top with pics 🤔
Load More Replies...The abnormal plastic look is probably going to lose popularity and, as fashions do, natural look will be embraced. Fingers crossed.
All these filters they use just make them look like clones of one another....soulless clones
After the second pic it got really repetitive We got it, this couple edits their photos. Okay, cool, so?
hi friend, they are showing how fake the filters are !!
Load More Replies...All of the people commenting about how she shouldn't have to edit herself et.c., not reading the description of the post and apparently not thinking of the fact that if it had been regular edited Ig photos, then how would every single unedited original be available online? :')
Um what's the point in this ? It's the same couple. What's the backstory? You just say something about TikTok but I've no idea why you have posted so many photos of one couple in edited form.
Any tiktok rubbish always goes over the top with pics 🤔
Load More Replies...The abnormal plastic look is probably going to lose popularity and, as fashions do, natural look will be embraced. Fingers crossed.
All these filters they use just make them look like clones of one another....soulless clones
After the second pic it got really repetitive We got it, this couple edits their photos. Okay, cool, so?
hi friend, they are showing how fake the filters are !!
Load More Replies...All of the people commenting about how she shouldn't have to edit herself et.c., not reading the description of the post and apparently not thinking of the fact that if it had been regular edited Ig photos, then how would every single unedited original be available online? :')
Um what's the point in this ? It's the same couple. What's the backstory? You just say something about TikTok but I've no idea why you have posted so many photos of one couple in edited form.
