If you use Instagram frequently and spend a lot of time on social media, you probably know who the Kardashian/Jenner are. You know, the billionaire sisters whose names all start with K. Yeah, those. If you already know them, you probably saw the Khloe Kardashian leaked photos, and if not, you may be imagining some images in her birthday outfit without her consent, but no, they are just photos in a bikini.

Why would that be a leaked photo? You may wonder. Well, because those photos have not been edited like the ones we usually see. What started as a scandal is turning into a conversation about social media and depression and other mental illnesses.

Whaaat, MindsMatter became a celebrity tabloid?

Not yet. But if I can take advantage of a scandal that is currently trendy to make visible the importance of mental health, why not do it? Also, if that brings us a few extra clicks, it wouldn’t hurt us either, wink wink.

The leaked photo of Khloe Kardashian that taught us a lesson

It all started when a photo of Khloe in a bikini while they were at a family reunion was posted on social media without her permission. In the image, we can see a natural 36-year-old woman without retouching or photoshop. At first, it didn’t seem like there would be much fuss as many fans highlighted how great Khloe looks, but soon the Kardashian legal team released a statement and announced that they would take steps to remove the photo from the internet.

Which, for anyone who knows how the internet works, is clear it would bring more attention to the leaked photo of Khloe Kardashian and make things worse.

A few days later the reality star posted a video on her Instagram account addressing the situation. Her words are clear lessons on body image, the pressure of being a public figure, and self-esteem.

“My body, my image and how I choose to look and what I want to share is my choice”

Khloe talked about how demanding it is to post photos of her body, as she is constantly being compared to the looks of her sisters and younger models. She says dealing with this situation for years has become a lot of weight on her shoulders to carry.

In her statement, she spoke about the immense pressure to meet the unrealistic beauty standards that we see on social media.

Photo by Chris Yang on Unsplash

Social media, impossible standards, and mental health

Currently, many studies link social media, especially Instagram, with mental disorders such as anorexia and bulimia.

When we are constantly exposed to perfect looks day after day, we can begin to have a distorted image of what “attractive” means. If your perception of a summer body is a Victoria’s Secret model, it is impossible to be comfortable with your own body and the thousands of imperfections that we all have.

The concept of body image that everyone has is related to self-esteem and self-appreciation. If you alter that body image then the self-esteem of any person can collapse.

If Khloe Kardashian, a successful millionaire woman, is insecure about her body that she can care for and change with expensive surgeries, then imagine how many of us can feel.

Social media and depression, in addition to eating disorders and other mental illnesses, are becoming more and more visible. Especially in women, there are more and more links between problems of self-esteem and body image with poor mental health.

Photo by Monika Kozub on Unsplash

Avoid filters, post those stretch marks!

We can already appreciate that we mortals are not the only ones who can feel bad about our bodies when we see those porcelain skins, firm buttocks, and flat abs. Celebrities also suffer the consequences of setting the bar so high when beauty standards were set.

Possibly thanks to that, many models and influencers have started promoting campaigns where they publish their bodies without retouching, filters, or edits. In this way, they encourage everyone to appreciate themselves as they really are, understanding that that gorgeous Instagram model with 1 million followers also has stretch marks, cellulite and if you don’t focus on her best profile, you can see her belly fat. If they look like this, we don’t have to seek to look perfect.

If you ask me, it’s not a coincidence that in the era of social media the number of cosmetic surgeries that are done per year in the US has doubled. It has become easier to eliminate the aspects that we do not like instead of learning to love them and be happy with them.

If you didn’t see the Khloe Kardashian leaked photo, don’t bother looking for it. It is the image of an ordinary human body, as there are billions on earth. Something that made me happy about the whole situation was the number of fans who supported her and affirmed that even without the edits, she looked beautiful. That tells us that we may be headed in the right direction.

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