Social media is often a place where we find ourselves comparing our own lives and bodies with others.
With people posting edited and extremely posed pictures of themselves online, it can leave their followers feeling not good enough.
However, one influencer is fighting back from the pressures of perfection and opting to show her followers what she looks like in “real life.”
Georgie Clarke, who has 720,000 Instagram followers, is urging her followers to stop “comparing” themselves to others.
She posted bikini photos side-by-side to hammer this point home.
The first picture labelled “posted” shows Georgie facing the camera, with her bikini pulled up past her hips and stretching up to the ceiling to achieve the common ‘Instagramable’ look.
Then, Georgie labeled the second picture “deleted”, where she turns side on to show what she looks like without posing.
Georgie captioned the post: “Posted VS Deleted.
“Do you ever get put off buying a bikini because you know you won’t look the same as the Instagram model wearing it?
“Well guess what… the model doesn’t even look like that in real life.
“It’s a clever pose, adjusted angle, strategic lighting, tensed body that’s then been enhanced and airbrushed…. it’s not real life ladies, stop comparing yourself!”
The Instagram influencer continued: “Everything we’ve been taught and conditioned to hate about ourselves is actually completely normal! Cellulite, dimples, scars, stretch marks… rolls… you name it, everyone has these things!”
“We just don’t see it on Instagram because influencers and celebrities are under constant pressure to edit these normal things out to protect themselves from nasty comments from trolls.
“I find it’s especially prevalent in the media where articles surrounding celebrity gossip always portray normal bodies and skin as a negative thing.”
“It’s a constant cycle of being told we should feel negative about our bodies when in reality we are all normal.
“So stop comparing yourself, put the bikini and rock it I say! You deserve to feel good about yourself.”
(Image: georgie.clarke /Instagram)
The post garnered hundreds of likes and plenty of positive responses.
One person commented: “This post came at such a good time today, thank you for sharing your content and being brave.”
Another added: “You are so inspiring. Love your account.”
And a third person said: “You give me so much strength!”