The rise of Instagram has brought with it the rise of the body-positivity movement. While I'm sure that you're no doubt aware of what this movement entails (the clue is in the name), it seems that some people - including companies - are still having a hard time learning to accept it.
The body-positivity movement is aimed at learning to love and embrace your 'flaws'. On the whole, it tends to stick two fingers up at the westernized beauty standards that we are used to seeing across the media landscape. Whether it's talking about tummy rolls or dealing with eating disorders, body-positivity had undoubtedly had a positive effect on how women view their bodies.
But, while the rise of the movement can be credited to the influence of Instagram, the app has also had some detrimental effects on how people view themselves. Sometimes, it can be hard to separate the social media platform from the real world, and seeing as Instagram is a place where people share themselves looking at their best, it can be easy to feel inadequate and like you don't fit in.
The app is awash with influencers with svelte frames and enviable figures who live a life that we could only dream of. Such is the pressure on users to conform to this aesthetic that there are apps which claim to "slim-down" your photos for you.
There are a million reasons why these apps are bad for your mental health and body image, and luckily for us Tess Holliday is here to break it down. Tess - a highly influential plus-size model - is one of the women used in the advertisement for the app. However, she didn't give developers permission to use her image and as such, has taken to her profile to savage the company.
"An app that has nearly 50k downloads was dumb enough to steal photos of myself & two other plus size women & use them for this nonsense," she wrote;
"I’m sharing this because I wanna address a few things. First of all, the fact that anyone thinks it’s ok to market this to ANYONE is appalling, but like, come on y’all.
"Secondly, why is @instagram not regulating the sponsored content like this? In a world of paid content, flat tummy teas, appetite suppressing lollipops (so many) its important for me to tell y’all that I have & will never partner with a brand or do paid content unless I genuinely use it or would recommend it to my best friend.
"I’ve been offered crazy amounts of money to sell y’all all kinds of things like teeth whitening (that doesn’t work), weight loss products (that are dangerous), etc., but that’s me- to each their own.
Tess delivers her final point with a clear message: no matter what, you are worthy;
"Lastly never let anyone make you feel like you need to alter your appearance or who you are. You are enough. You are worthy of love in your current body, whatever that body looks like. As for this bogus app, my lawyers will be sliding in your DM’s boo."
It seems outrageous that we are still living in a time where apps like this are allowed to exist. Credit to Tess and all the other body-positivity influencers for teaching people to love the skin they're in.
