Nobody ever looks the same as they really do on social media according to Alison Laney ‘20. The standards are very high on looking perfect nowadays Laney proclaimed. Impressions are never the same as meeting someone for the first time on Instagram, Snapchat, or any social media Laney continued to magnify.

“I think everyone tries too hard on social media. I think most everyone is trying to portray their lives in their best moments, and so everyone’s life looks perfect on social media.” science teacher Claire Sobolak said.

According to South mother of three Buffy Hall says, a lot of people want to look their best because, with social media, it allows people to know what people are doing constantly throughout the day.

“Impressions are kept up because we live in a world that is documented, at all times,” Hall said.“You can’t even go to the grocery store without anyone not knowing that you went there.”

Sobolak said students often feel the need to keep up their appearance for others in this generation and society.

“I honestly think students care too much because it is apart of our culture,” Sobolak said.“ As being Americans, we always are striving for perfection and if there is one flaw we can’t do it. That goes for an appearance and even our actions too.”

Students have the ability to change their photos with editing apps, which allow them to improve the looks of not just themselves, but the photo as well, according to Laney.

“I do edit my photos, I turn the brightness down so the shadows go away, and sometimes I whiten my teeth,” Laney said.

According to Sobolak, with these apps, appearances aren’t always what they seem to be as in real life.

“I do think students look differently on social media because of filters, they are the number one thing that we see especially on Instagram. It’s used with any kind of image, to make everyone’s skin more flawless or look a little more tan,” Sobolak said.

According to Laney, students don’t know everyone they’re following, appearance wise and they never have actually talked to most of their followers in real life.

“I usually follow people on Instagram just because we go to the same school or we have a mutual friend, or I’ll follow someone back who had requested to follow me,” Laney said.

Others, like Sobolak, said it is strange to follow someone they do not know well or have had a conversation with.  

“I think it is weird that students follow people they do not know. Especially when I was in high school as well, Facebook was huge,” Sobolak said. “So you know, you might have only one class with a certain person but think why not add her. But then, as time goes on, it gets almost a little strange because you don’t know the person personally, and they are putting a lot of personal things on their social media. So it is something that is very common and very natural to us.”

Overall, Laney said students’ don’t always look the same as they appear on Instagram and feel pressure to keep up their status.

“There’s a meme that says all you people that edit all your photos be careful,” Hall said, “Because if you go missing then nobody will be able to recognize you on the milk box.”