When Myspace was at its peak, the number of comments someone received on a picture could be used to measure their popularity. Our layouts implied a level of creativity and our music selection an indication of our “style.” Tom retired, Myspace lost its appeal, and the HxC let go of that part of their identity.

We moved our attention to Facebook, and for a while it wasn’t the most superficial network; just a tool used for communication and amateur stalking. A little later on we had fun apps like Honesty Box that destroyed our self esteem, and Bumper Sticker that provided us with hours worth of procrastination material. Although there was definitely an element of social validation involved, (every hangout session with your friends turned into a photo shoot) most of us were far from concerned about an unfortunate picture of ourselves surfacing the internet.

Then there was Instagram. At first we found ourselves asking, “why do we need this?” People already saw our photos on Facebook! Shortly after we learned to appreciate the creativity element to the platform; showing off the sweet sunrise we captured, or the fancy dinner we ate. Instagram provided us with the opportunity to take a deeper look into the intimate lives of those who we’d always been aggressively curious about. A few years later and suddenly we’re all public figures. Similar to how the number of comments on someone’s myspace photos indicated something about their social status, so now does their Instagram activity. We’re no better than our 13-year-old selves! Bummer, right?

Because we are wrapped into a virtual world that has grown to be so important to us, we do things we aren’t proud of. Ladies, tell me you haven’t perfectly timed an upload to assure the most amount of people would see it. I would love to hear you’ve never considered the ratio of followers to likes on your photo or that you don’t have photo editing applications other than Insta itself. If that is the case, and you’ve never thought about your like-to-minute ratio, this article probably isn’t for you. I admire your ability to look past what has unfortunately become a social norm, I can’t necessarily say the same about most people I know (including myself).

I’m going to assume the majority of us have seen the viral videos on photoshop transformations. In the past I have approached the topic with apathy, because although the advertising industry certainly did set the standard for “ideal”, real humans accepted it as unattainable. Although models were supposed to represent the way clothing should look on a consumer, our society had accepted the fact that they were either retouched or bulimic. Most of us didn’t compare ourselves to models until we all became them. This isn’t to say the girl who sits next to me in class is the next Kendall Jenner or Cara Delevingne, far from it. We’re all models now, and our agency is Instagram.

I want to bring to your attention an application called Facetune, which is currently the top grossing photo editing app on itunes. Those of you who have the app downloaded are probably pissed at me for writing about it, but that isn’t going to stop me. Facetune gives you the ability to reshape your body and remove your blemishes in a way that is near impossible for others to notice. Although I am sure plenty of people will deny it, pretty much the sole purpose of this app is to give us ability to appear thinner in our pictures. The filters and other photographic elements are subpar to other free editing apps, so I don’t buy the whole “I like the filters” argument.

I know exactly what you’re thinking– bros are pissed because this is “deception” and girls are thinking “okay thats kinda messed up, but I’m sorta interested although it kills me.” Of course this app is somewhat appealing! Our internet personas have become so important to us, consciously and subconsciously, that the concept of an app that trims off a few without anyone knowing is undeniably desirable. Little did you know, many people you follow are already users of the app– even girls who already had “bangin” bodies (even celebs like Kim K and Bey.) So while you’ve been asking yourself, “how do these bitches perfect their camera angles?” you’ve actually been deceived by technology. By using this application we have not only accepted the 21st century ideal of natural beauty (which is not natural at all, but technologically altered), but we are enforcing it as the truth. For $3.99 we can look like celebrities (who don’t even look like themselves) and sleep well knowing we got 50+ Insta likes.

How is it possible that you’ve never heard of the highest grossing photo editing app available? If this were an addicting game, you’d know about it. The answer is simple, because it is the best kept secret among high-school/college aged women. Nobody talks about it because nobody wants you to know they edit their photos. The camera may add 5lbs, but this app can take off 10.

Why should society’s standard of beauty be unattainable without an app or an eating disorder? Being attractive in the virtual world shouldn’t impact our self image in the real world, especially when we are receiving validation from touched-up images. I am terrified by how much value we place on our social media presence. As a generation we have collectively allowed our self worth to be determined by virtual “likes”. Recognize WE are society and as millennials have the power to alter what our generation finds attractive. Blemishes are what make us human. We have the ability to make REAL PEOPLE (not pixels) the ideal.

Delete Facetune, Perfect365, or any other app that you use to change what you look like. I don’t care if you choose to admit you’ve used this app or not, but share this with your friends. Realize this: not only is it toxic for us to believe we will only receive validation if we are thinner, but we’re deceiving others into believing the unattained is a reality. WE are creating a standard of beauty that is unhealthy. Let’s do something about it, if not for yourself, for society.