Have you ever found yourself doom-scrolling through Instagram or TikTok, only to wonder if you’ve been doing life wrong because you don’t wake up with flawless skin and perfectly styled hair? You start thinking, “Why don’t I look like that?”—like the influencer with flawless skin, the celebrity  over with perfect hair, or the athlete with the sculpted body? If you have, you’re not alone. Welcome to today’s beauty standards, where filters and Photoshop reign supreme, making everyone look like they just stepped off a red carpet—even if they were binge-watching Netflix in their pajamas five minutes earlier.

For teens constantly online, it’s hard to scroll without feeling insecure. Everytime we open Instagram, Tiktok, or Snapchat  we’re bombarded with filtered selfies and unrealistic standards. One minute, you’re relaxing, and the next, an influencer’s ‘What I Eat in a Day’ video has you second-guessing your snack choices

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The internet has warped beauty into something unattainable. It’s not about looking good anymore—it’s about achieving a ‘perfection’ that doesn’t even exist. Social media apps are designed to keep you hooked, showing you more unattainable ideals every time you scroll, deepening insecurities.

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After talking to classmates, I found most felt a hit to their self-confidence after scrolling. “Sometimes it feels like no matter what I do, I’ll never look like that,” said Sarah —a student who filters most of her photos —shared. Another student, Lily, shared, “I’ve tried makeup tutorials and workout plans, but these people have professionals making them look perfect.”

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This pressure doesn’t just hurt confidence—it’s wrecking mental health. The American Psychological Association reports that seeing highly edited images leads to increased anxiety, depression, and body dysmorphia among teens. The more we see these images, the more we feel inadequate, and we try to change ourselves, even though we know it’s impossible to look like something digitally altered.

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Trends like extreme contouring or body sculpting seem glamorous, but chasing them can be harmful. And those viral “I woke up like this” videos? (Spoiler: no one wakes up like that.) These false ideas of beauty push unrealistic expectations and contribute to a never-ending loop of dissatisfaction.

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At the end of the day, the images we see online don’t define us—they don’t even define the people in them. Behind the filters and editing, they’re just like us. Perfection doesn’t exist, and that’s okay. Next time you’re scrolling and feel like you don’t measure up, remember: you’re not supposed to. The world doesn’t need more perfect-looking people—it needs more real, unapologetically confident ones. And that’s something no filter can capture.