Women Joining The #FilterDrop Movement Are Taking A Stand Against Retouched Beauty Ads
There is a new trend that's been taking over Instagram, and it's one that we can all probably appreciate and get behind. It's a campaign called #filterdrop, and it encourages women to post pictures of themselves that haven't been edited or filtered. It's a big step in the right direction of changing the way we make beauty ads and advertise to people.
It Was All Started By A Makeup Artist
Sasha Louise Pallari started the trend after she had submitted a complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority claiming that these filters people post on their Instagrams are harmful and shouldn't be so exaggerated.
It Didn't Take Long For It To Take Off
It wasn't long before other people started feeling brave enough to post pictures of themselves on Instagram without filters and even without makeup to show their support for the cause.
They All Had Stories
Almost every post was accompanied by heartfelt stories and declarations of confidence, of people telling us how they always felt inferior and less attractive for reasons that are ridiculous and shouldn't have been a thing.
It Was Like A Breath Of Fresh Air
Sasha Louise Pallari posted on her Instagram, "I used to drastically edit my pictures, I used filters, I spent every waking minute of my days wishing I looked like someone else."
If We're Honest, We All Do This
Taking a selfie is a whole process. First, you have to take a picture that you actually like, and then you upload it to Instagram or wherever and apply whatever filter makes it look how you want.
It's All So Frustrating
The only reason we do this is that we have had it ingrained in us that the way we look without all those filters and makeup is wrong. The beauty standards we have are not attainable ones.
There Needs To Be More Honesty
If influencers on social media and ads were always more transparent about the amount of editing that goes into the photos we see, we might live in a completely different world.
Maybe We Would Be More Confident
If we didn't have these unrealistic standards to hold ourselves to, then maybe we would have more confident people and a better understanding that there are lots of different skin types and looks.
All The Stuff We Want To Hide Is Normal
All of our body hair, our acne and scars, our large pores, and whatever else we have been made to feel bad about are just parts of our bodies that are totally normal.
It Turns Out, The Campaign Did Something
Sasha Louise Pallari heard back from the ASA and got a response that she wasn't expecting, but was really hopeful for. They agreed to take her complaint seriously and review their standards.
Then She Got An Amazing Response
She received an email from the ASA saying, "the outcome of the rulings chosen mean it is now advised that brands/influencers/celebrities are not to apply filters to photos which promote beauty products if such filters are likely to exaggerate the effect the product is capable of achieving, even if the name of the filter is referenced in the Instagram story."
It Isn't The Whole Solution, But It's A Good Step
Seeing a disclaimer that the pictures we are looking at are edited and have filters will help us see that these nose shapes and lips and skin textures might be—and probably are—edited.
Let's Hope Other People Follow Suit
Being beautiful and "Instagram ready" doesn't have anything to do with what kind of filters you're using or how much makeup you have on, it should come from the inside.
We Need More Confidence
If we all start feeling more confident in ourselves, then maybe we will rely less on those things to help us feel good and we will see we had the power to feel that way the whole time.
The Hashtag Is Still Trending
Even though they've made great progress, the hashtag is still gaining traction and has become something bigger than addressing the ASA and getting the regulations changed with advertising and social media posts.
It's Really Liberating
People are finding it liberating to share their real selves. These people are embracing the fact that makeup and nice clothes should enhance who you are, not change who you are for others to see.
Confidence Is Different For All Of Us
This doesn't mean that people should stop wearing makeup and posting selfies how they want—feeling confident is different for everyone—but this campaign was created in hopes of broadening that standard of beauty.
It's Brining People Together
It's really inspiring to go onto Instagram and search the hashtag and see all these beautiful pictures of people smiling and looking happy just as they are in all their unfiltered glory.
Will You Post A Selfie?
You can still post an unfiltered selfie with that hashtag and become part of a movement that has made an actual, palpable difference in how we advertise on social media.
Let's Not Stop Here
This has been a great success and we shouldn't just stop here! Let's keep pushing for the things that need to change so we can belong to a healthy society.
