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This Online Community Is Dedicated To Calling Out Fake Instagrammers, And Here Are 30 Of Their Newest Posts
If a photo on Instagram looks too good to be true, it probably is. Even though the platform can be a wonderful and inspiring place, full of beautiful and artistic images, oftentimes it's misleading, too. Photography "tricks" and post-production dissolves the difference between real and fake. And some people try to make use of it, turning their looks into what they think society desires.
Eventually, it got so bad, a counter-movement emerged on Reddit in 2017. The community is called Instagram Reality, and it is dedicated to "exposing" these personas, trying to stop the spread of unreachable ideals and unrealistic expectations. To do so, it is posting side-by-side pics of how Instagrammers look online and in real life.
Bored Panda has already written about the subreddit (most recent articles here, here, and here), but it continues to dig out more and more... "specimens", so we gotta keep up; the pictures are getting more and more ridiculous.
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Found On A Dating App. I Am Genuinely Concerned
In 2019, Marika Tiggemann and Isabella Anderberg released a study called "Social media is not real: The effect of 'Instagram vs reality' images on women’s social comparison and body image." The research revealed that such images have the power to limit the impact social media posts have on our mental health.
As part of the study, a group of women were randomly assigned to view one of three sets of images: "Instagram vs reality" images, the 'ideal' side alone, or just the 'real' side. When women viewed either the real or comparison posts, researchers noticed that the identification or complete avoidance of the 'perfect' images as fake could "disrupt the comparison process," reducing the negative impact on body image and actually decreasing body dissatisfaction.
I Thinks She's So Beautiful Without The Photoshop. Body Dysmorphia Is Real
"Results suggest that the popular quote 'Comparison is the thief of joy'… has some truth to it," Renee Engeln, a professor of psychology at Northwestern University, writes for Psychology Today. "However, it seems to matter who the target of your comparison is. We may have more luck accepting our own bodies if we see more realistic and diverse representations of other bodies in our social media feeds.
"By following users who regularly challenge the frequent phoniness of Instagram posts, we can practice appreciating the diversity of human bodies and perhaps learn to appreciate our own bodies along the way."
You Gotta Be Kidding Me
Pores You Say?
A Beautiful 51 Year Old Woman Who Doesn’t Need The Facetune
I'm No Doctor But Her Head Is Small
Photographer Trying To Claim That The Long Legs Are Only Due To “Angling”
When The Mirror Lets You Down
What Is Happening?
That Foot Said, “Mr. Stark? Don’t Feel So Good.”
That's no foot!! That's a pirates stump!! Foot stumpin' all over the place, what is a boy to do?
Photoshopped A Lambo Logo On Her Honda, The Blue One In The Back Also Looks Fake
It’s A Helluva Drug...
A German Reality TV Star On Instagram vs. On TV
What Is Going On Here Honestly
Rtx On
If he would take of his shirt in front of me and look like that.. I think I'll run away... screaming...
Original vs. What She Posted
When Her Legs Are Taller Than You
Bro..... Seriously
Delusion
The Only Photos She Posts Anymore Are Pictures Of Models With Her Face Photoshopped In Instead
Instagram Post vs. Tagged Pic
I Genuinely Don't Understand This. She Does This All The Time. She Doesn't Even Slightly Resemble Herself
2 In 3 Use Photoshop
Yeah... but which two??? If only someone could shine a light or something...
Her Upper Body Looks Absolutely Disturbing In Her Edit
I Didn't See It Until The Direct Comparison
Her Billboard vs. A Pic From An Interview
When You Get So Tan That Even Your Eyes Get Darker. (Summer 2018 On Left vs. Summer 2020)
Seriously though, a friend of mine went to Europe and came back so dark, I found it difficult to talk to her, she was so different and not her real self..
Load More Replies... Why would people do this? And even more... post these really horrible results which are nowhere near the (much better!!) reality? Who are they fooling?
it is impossible to believe that someone's skin would darken like that. that's just racist.
blackwashing is stupid, black people look great when black and white the same. we have different features people changing the skin pigment just makes everything look weird and out of place
Other people besides black people have this skintone. Erasure of nonblack minorities is a thing, and this attitude is part of it.
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I know 2020 was hard for the most of us, but not that hard that white women became black.
Melanin jealousy! Want the colour but also to preserve my privilige! melanin-5f...6431b8.jpg 
This is not a tan or photoshop, it's a drug available in Germany & other countries. It literally cranks up all of the melanin in your body, including your eyes! That's why her eye colour has changed & she is SO dark. It's Illegal in North America & other countries because of the dangerous side effects. There was an episode of Botched where a monster-breasted woman & her boyfriend had it done & now she wants to be Nigerian. The heavy German accent is a bit of a give away though! They asked the doctors if their children would be born dark (sigh) & they docs had to explain genetics to them & how their genes weren't changed by this drug, so no their children would not be dark. He then asked about changing their genes to be dark. As you do. 🙄 I wish I was making this up but I'm not. Please don't procreate, just don't.
I think she should have used the green filter instead and gone with the Ogre look.
Why? Just wht can't people appreciate the way they already look.
Her Promo Pic On Social Media vs. Photo From Her Promo Event
She Has 217k Followers On Insta
She was actually on Greece's Next Top Model as a plus size model and she was actually pretty good. She knows how to pose and how to make beautiful expressions with her face. But this picture on the right is just... it just isn't her. I don't understand why they're doing this. She is a beautiful girl.
Note: this post originally had 82 images. It’s been shortened to the top 29 images based on user votes.
When I was a teenager and complaining about how I look on a pic, my mother used to say, "You can't be prettier on a picture than in real life. Pictures are rigid, and no one can experience your pretty smile through a static picture, at least not in every single one". Seeing beautiful people making themselves even uglier with filters, makes me realize how right she was.
That is one piece of life advice that I'm gonna keep. Thanks for sharing xx
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I feel bad about my skin sometimes because I kind of forget that all these photos are photo shopped. Kind of have to remind myself that my skin is normal and that people should have pores. Gotta remember to look at the people around me in real life to get a grip on my expectations.
Many models have issues with acne or rashes due to all the makeup they have to wear. That's 100% airbrushed to perfection.
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I get that a lot of these pictures are really just bad photoshop, but I also think that people don't really understand how much makeup can change a person's face. Obviously the pictures where they suddenly have longer appendages or something like that are photoshop, but there are also quite a few which seem to just be the result of a lot of makeup.
Agree makeup can do magic but it can’t do ANY of what we saw here.
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It’s not that simple though. Some people are overly confident and don’t have the reality to back it up. Over confidence / entitlement is a pretty big problem.
Load More Replies... Some Instagram posts often end with arousing people's pity... What is "self-esteem"?
It don't matter about your look on the outside. It's about the inside. Everybody is beautiful. If people say they're ugly then that's a lie. Why does Photoshop even exists? Like, it hurts to know people around the world could just Photoshop just to make themselves look "prettier" than how they look currently, but it ain't about looking "prettier" but accepting that you're pretty no matter what. I used to say I was ugly, and I believe we all hit that stage, but I'm being honest here, nobody's ugly. Not even the "ugliest women" in the world! You're all gorgeous! If you Photoshop, you're only becoming a fake and hiding who you truly are. You need to express your beauty, even if it means people thing you're ugly, you're all beautiful. I think Photoshop shouldn't even be in this world for this reasons, but I'm not the one who decided to do it and I cannot decide to just take it away. I hope one day the ppl who Photoshop will express and acknowledge their beauty. Have a great day y'all.❤️
While the majority of these are cringe-worthy & laughable, they mostly just make me sad. What has society created that these people are so filled with self loathing?
These make me think they've captured the essence of the "president". I think he sees himself as the guy the stooges have made into the Rambo character on their cult flags. Psychopathy comes with some weird stuff.
They don't actually want you to believe the altered pics are really them? Isn't this just a different art form?
What's more disturbing to me are the ones that are altered, but not enough to look fake. I thought that the abuse of kids' self-image was terrible for my generation, and since we all recognized it, it would be better for the next (and the next). It's gotten SO much worse. How can parents allow this?
You mock these images but every time you turn on the TV or see a billboard, it is the same thing, just professionally done. People have trouble with the way they look, might be shallow but we are in a society that places value on the way people look. With the internet you can be whoever you want to be, and these people are trying to be the person they want to be.
Some are beyond hilarious, but a lot just seem to have the same effect as too much make up and old school lighting and filters. I don't get why now we need to be tuttutting this, when showing a persona in stead of your own face has always been a thing. I mean, Jennifer Lopez is also not dancing through her house and singing her heart out while hanging from a pole when she's on the toilet. Stage actors don't wear thick caked on make up with black lines all day because they have a role in Les Mis. It's just, good fun and for some a way to deal with feeling insecure. Just teach your kids it's fine without and walk the walk yourself.
Except for the Kardashians. They shall be judged the hell out off.
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Makeup doesn’t change who you’re with. It depends on how people do makeup.
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I get your point but people need to be more responsible and also less lazy. It’s irresponsible to pretend to look a certain way you know you don’t and can’t. And if you’re so unsatisfied with how you look then do something to fix your ugly shít. That’s why they make makeup and Botox and fillers and plastic surgery. Don’t just pretend you had it and go around telling everyone you look a certain way you actually don’t like some weird-asś lazy liar. Just go fix it if you hate it so much, it isn’t even hard. Nobody is ugly, just broke.
Load More Replies...
When I was a teenager and complaining about how I look on a pic, my mother used to say, "You can't be prettier on a picture than in real life. Pictures are rigid, and no one can experience your pretty smile through a static picture, at least not in every single one". Seeing beautiful people making themselves even uglier with filters, makes me realize how right she was.
That is one piece of life advice that I'm gonna keep. Thanks for sharing xx
Load More Replies... I feel bad about my skin sometimes because I kind of forget that all these photos are photo shopped. Kind of have to remind myself that my skin is normal and that people should have pores. Gotta remember to look at the people around me in real life to get a grip on my expectations.
Many models have issues with acne or rashes due to all the makeup they have to wear. That's 100% airbrushed to perfection.
Load More Replies... I get that a lot of these pictures are really just bad photoshop, but I also think that people don't really understand how much makeup can change a person's face. Obviously the pictures where they suddenly have longer appendages or something like that are photoshop, but there are also quite a few which seem to just be the result of a lot of makeup.
Agree makeup can do magic but it can’t do ANY of what we saw here.
Load More Replies... It’s not that simple though. Some people are overly confident and don’t have the reality to back it up. Over confidence / entitlement is a pretty big problem.
Load More Replies... Some Instagram posts often end with arousing people's pity... What is "self-esteem"?
It don't matter about your look on the outside. It's about the inside. Everybody is beautiful. If people say they're ugly then that's a lie. Why does Photoshop even exists? Like, it hurts to know people around the world could just Photoshop just to make themselves look "prettier" than how they look currently, but it ain't about looking "prettier" but accepting that you're pretty no matter what. I used to say I was ugly, and I believe we all hit that stage, but I'm being honest here, nobody's ugly. Not even the "ugliest women" in the world! You're all gorgeous! If you Photoshop, you're only becoming a fake and hiding who you truly are. You need to express your beauty, even if it means people thing you're ugly, you're all beautiful. I think Photoshop shouldn't even be in this world for this reasons, but I'm not the one who decided to do it and I cannot decide to just take it away. I hope one day the ppl who Photoshop will express and acknowledge their beauty. Have a great day y'all.❤️
While the majority of these are cringe-worthy & laughable, they mostly just make me sad. What has society created that these people are so filled with self loathing?
These make me think they've captured the essence of the "president". I think he sees himself as the guy the stooges have made into the Rambo character on their cult flags. Psychopathy comes with some weird stuff.
They don't actually want you to believe the altered pics are really them? Isn't this just a different art form?
What's more disturbing to me are the ones that are altered, but not enough to look fake. I thought that the abuse of kids' self-image was terrible for my generation, and since we all recognized it, it would be better for the next (and the next). It's gotten SO much worse. How can parents allow this?
You mock these images but every time you turn on the TV or see a billboard, it is the same thing, just professionally done. People have trouble with the way they look, might be shallow but we are in a society that places value on the way people look. With the internet you can be whoever you want to be, and these people are trying to be the person they want to be.
Some are beyond hilarious, but a lot just seem to have the same effect as too much make up and old school lighting and filters. I don't get why now we need to be tuttutting this, when showing a persona in stead of your own face has always been a thing. I mean, Jennifer Lopez is also not dancing through her house and singing her heart out while hanging from a pole when she's on the toilet. Stage actors don't wear thick caked on make up with black lines all day because they have a role in Les Mis. It's just, good fun and for some a way to deal with feeling insecure. Just teach your kids it's fine without and walk the walk yourself.
Except for the Kardashians. They shall be judged the hell out off.
Load More Replies... Makeup doesn’t change who you’re with. It depends on how people do makeup.
Load More Replies... I get your point but people need to be more responsible and also less lazy. It’s irresponsible to pretend to look a certain way you know you don’t and can’t. And if you’re so unsatisfied with how you look then do something to fix your ugly shít. That’s why they make makeup and Botox and fillers and plastic surgery. Don’t just pretend you had it and go around telling everyone you look a certain way you actually don’t like some weird-asś lazy liar. Just go fix it if you hate it so much, it isn’t even hard. Nobody is ugly, just broke.
Load More Replies... 