Turns out, it's an app that allows you to do your makeup in photos. I got a good laugh out of it. Especially when I found the settings that would do crazy makeup and even add wigs. Exhibit A:
Freaky, right? I thought it was pretty hilarious. That was, until last weekend when my husband and I took a picture on our Saturday afternoon adventure and I decided to play with the picture a little because I wasn't wearing any makeup and I figured it would be a perfect use for the app!
Somehow this turned into a weird obsession over the next couple hours. And then I discovered that the app can actually thin out your face and make your eyes bigger, among other things. It will even thin out your eyebrows for you. Essentially, it's the photoshop for your crappy Instagram pictures.
It wasn't until I was trying out the thinning face feature that I had an overwhelming sense of "What am I doing?!" After just barely learning about unrealistic expectations in the media, here I was turning what was actually a fine picture in to something that wasn't real so it would "look better." I was pretty disgusted with myself once I realized the destructiveness of what I was doing, so I ended it right there.
Media (and Satan) have the sneakiest way of making you think things are important when they just really aren't. Trying to look perfect all of the time is one of them. The app's tagline is "The easiest way to make you look great." Uhhh how about looking great by building self-esteem? Being happy? Taking pride in your unique features and what makes you you? Better yet, how about not caring so much about "looking great" and wearing sweatpants every day because you can and because you just freaking like it?
Sorry. I'm getting carried away. But this little app gave me a new perspective, and I'm so glad I'm more "media-aware" that I was able to catch myself on what I was doing. Needless to say, I won't be using that app anymore. Even over silly Instagram photos, it is just too easy for me to trick myself into thinking I need to "fix" my physical features in order to look good, and I'm just really not okay with that.
Nice that you caught yourself. I love this media class and the useful things we're learning. I haven't yet decided if I think it's wrong to edit pictures a lot. I do, however, currently think that edited photos should be non-obscurely labeled as such. “Photoshoped” or “Edited with Photoshop.” “Heavily modified.” Or something a bit like those labels.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your experience and thoughts about it. :)