Introducing the new column, Unpopular Opinion. We all have some opinions that, if we said them out loud, we feel like we'd end up in jail. Not because they're necessarily wrong, but because they're... different. They're not what society expects us to hear, they're not supported by the masses, and, above all, they're not appropriate to say at the dinner table with the family. These are the opinions we keep to ourselves, share only with friends, or simply bite our lips to keep them inside. Unpopular opinions are precisely those opinions that most people consider strange, daring, or just plain wrong. But not every opinion that goes outside the rules is necessarily wrong. So, it's time to say some not-so-popular truths.
?
"I've thought about this often, especially in those moments when I'm overcome with insecurity. That feeling when I'm scrolling through Instagram and suddenly it seems like my life is boring. I see someone with a perfect body on a luxury vacation, someone else with a wardrobe that looks like they just stepped out of a fashion magazine, another with perfect skin, like they've never known stress in their life. And right there, that voice in my head starts: "Why don't I look like this? Why don't I have this life? Where did I go wrong?"
Then, without realizing it, the tendency arises to blame those who point out this reality. “Influencers are corrupting people’s minds,” one often hears. “They are increasing collective insecurity.” But is that really the case? Or is it simply easier to blame someone else than to admit that this comparison is meaningless?
When I thought about it, I realized that since I was a child, unrealistic standards of beauty and success have always been there, it's just that before they came from magazines and television. I remember when pictures of Britney Spears made you believe that every girl should have an equally thin waist and hair that never got electrified. The difference is that back then there was no space to vent dissatisfaction with these standards, so everything was accepted without question.
Now, with Instagram and TikTok, everything is more tangible and the excuse has taken a new direction: influencers. But basically, as I think you should understand, they didn't invent beauty filters, nor the idea that success is measured by luxury. It's just that this reality is now presented more personally, more closely, creating the impression that everything is possible for everyone - until disappointment comes.
And therein lies the dilemma. If an influencer posts a perfect photo and a sense of insecurity arises, the problem is not with it. It is with the way you perceive yourself and the world around you. At the end of the day, it all comes down to personal choices – who you follow, what content you consume, whether you allow comparison to influence you or whether it is replaced by self-focus. And if such perfection existed, the desire to share it with the world would be the same.
In this reflection, blaming influencers seems like a shortcut to avoiding a deeper truth: personal insecurities do not stem from a photo curated with filters, but from the way self-confidence and perspective on reality are built." - written for Anabel by an honest girl.
Note: The article has been adapted by the editorial team for editorial purposes and clarity. Copyright Anabel.al / Reprinting without the permission of the editorial team is prohibited.
