Mainstream media amplifying the pressure to have the perfect body and the perfect look has created unrealistic body expectations for normal people today. Children grow up thinking how they see people on a cover of a magazine or online is how they really look, but that is normally not the case.

Some celebrities have voiced their objections to how they are photoshopped and have shared the original pictures to display the major changes that are added to increase their "attractiveness." For instance, Zendaya forced "Modeliste" to pull their issue with her on the cover due to overly retouched pictures, and Lorde released pictures from her concert that were edited to conceal her acne.

These retouched pictures lead to an increase in body shaming and what some professionals call the “internalization of the ‘thin ideal.’” Even with that being said, those pictures often do not contribute to eating disorders; research shows 50-80 percent of eating disorders stem from genetics rather than from media influence. Photoshop and a societal preference towards being thin may not normally lead to eating disorders, but they do lead to internal distress for those who do not look like those pictures or fit the thin ideal engraved into society. Photoshop's prevalence and negative effects oppose the idea of self-love and acceptance, which all people need to know.

A few brave businesses are moving away from the “social norm” of Photoshop. "Darling Magazine" does not photoshop any of the pictures in its publication and works to empower women. Arie, a subsection of American Eagle, recently began a campaign where they donated $1 to the National Eating Disorder Association for every untouched bikini picture someone posted. With opportunities for empowerment and self-love increasing, hopefully all of the Photoshopping and body shaming will come to an end.