Women Share Traits They Weren’t Insecure About Until The Internet Told Them To Be
Being a woman is hard. On every magazine cover or online forum, there's advice on how you should change yourself: make your lips fuller, your waist narrower, your butt bigger, etc.—it never ends.
However, just by being on social media, I constantly find new "trends" or imperfections that make me criticize my own body. These women shared things about themselves that they didn't know were "unattractive" until the internet told them so.
We Have To Be Insecure About Our Ankles Now?
"I once wrote an article for a fashion publication, which included several photos of me in different outfits, and a bunch of catty people in the comments insisted I had 'cankles.'"
All My Classmates Feared Cellulite In High School
"I never knew cellulite was a thing to be embarrassed about."
The messed up thing is that cellulite naturally occurs on almost all women's bodies, no matter what weight or size they are.
Thigh Gaps Are Unattainable For Most Women
"Not having a thigh gap."
I personally had never heard of a thigh gap until I was scrolling through Tumblr as a 15-year-old. I spent that whole year under-eating and overexercising to have a thigh gap. Today, I still have a few health complications from that time in my life.
Spoiler Alert: Most People Don't Have Symmetrical Features
"My eyes are uneven. It's even more noticeable when I’m tired. Tina Fey also has uneven eyes and I’ve seen some people on the internet tear her apart over it."
All Bodies Are Genetically Different!
"I don't know why, but I've had back fat from a very early age (even though I wasn't overweight or anything).
"One day, we were changing in school and a girl complimented someone else on how nice her body is like without any back fat, and that's when I realized it's not normal. A quick Internet search—yeah apparently people don't like it."
The Correct View Is: "Thirty, Flirty, And Thriving"
"That 30 years of age makes you 'old.'"
I never gave much thought to my age until I was approaching 25 and realized that I was about to be older than any of the girls that Leonard DiCaprio has dated.
Women Have No Control Over Their Chest Size
"I guess I never thought being 'flat' was really an issue. I've always been pretty thin and I thought that it was fine. Once I got on social media I had total strangers sending me messages to tell me I wasn’t a 'real woman' and that they had spent time going through my pictures just to laugh at my body.
"I used to love fashion and style and fitted clothes, and now I wear loose clothes and a huge jacket so no one can see my lack of a chest. I feel embarrassed literally all the time just for existing as I am."
People Are So Nosey About Looks
"Big noses that aren't the European standard."
I think that, as a woman of color, one of the first things I would have changed about myself as a teenager if I could have had plastic surgery was my nose. Now, I love mine, but it took a lot of time to accept that I would never be the beauty standard.
Why Are Men Allowed To Have Arm Hair And We Can't?
"I didn't realize how many men found hair on women's arms to be unattractive. It makes me a tad self-conscious knowing it now, but it mainly just pisses me off. Like, I shave my underarms, I wax my upper lip, I shave my legs and southern region, and now I'm supposed to shave my arms?"
Bro, Date Someone Your Own Age!!!
"I always knew men preferred younger women, but was shocked when I started dating again and many men my age (I was 45 at the time) would not even consider a woman over 35. I know I'm no spring chicken, but to basically be told I have zero value based solely on my age hurt."
I Had To Google This Term...
"I had no idea about the whole hip dip thing until last year, but now I can't unsee them on myself. I avoided tight dresses for months because I was so scared of someone pointing them out."
We Can't Even Smile Anymore?
"When I first heard about 'gummy' smiles. I've seen it pop up on social media a few times. It affected me at first as I've always been insecure about my smile in general."
Trust Me: No One Has Perfect Skin
"For me, it was comparing my skin with the skin of people on Instagram. I could never imagine having such clear skin, and then I gradually realized that a chunk of it was Photoshop."
They All Look Different, And It's Totally Normal!
"Shape, color, smell, etc., of the genital area. I remember how I kept obsessing over and looking out for these characteristics in myself just because of how society set certain standards."
I Thought They Were Pretty Until I Was Told They Weren't
"Stretch marks. Most people, but especially women, have them on their butt or legs from their growth spurt, and I never thought I was ugly until the internet told me I should get rid of them.
It's Always The Insecure Guys Who Say Stuff Like This...
"Being fit/muscular. I only found out that guys demeaning fit women was a thing after I started really lifting weights and a guy called me manly. I'm not even that muscular yet. It affected my self-esteem until I decided I wanted muscle more than I wanted a man in my life."
Men Should Just Be Happy To See Them
"The size of areolas. I saw a Reddit post about a girl hearing her boyfriend say they look like 'pepperoni' and calling them ugly. Mine are quite large, so it made me feel a bit negative about them for a couple of days, but then I figured boobs are boobs."
It Really Is Messed Up
"Honestly, if there's anything I’ve noticed, it’s that what’s seen as 'attractive' is 100% a trend. At some point, some part of your body will go out of fashion just as another part of you will be the hot new thing. It just goes to show how arbitrary perceived attractiveness is and there will always be people with different tastes."
Self-Acceptance Is Radical In A World That Wants You To Hate Yourself
"I'm 37—if I'm not attractive to you, buzz off. I may have been more affected when I was 16 and reading trashy magazines, but not anymore. The only thing the internet makes me feel bad about is how judgmental we all are of each other and ourselves."
