In what feels like every week, there is a new trend that finds its way around social media to show pictures of yourself from the past few years versus now. All of these trends are intended to emphasize how much better you look now than you did in years past. While I find celebrating progress in how you’ve improved and changed over the years to be a good thing, is it really healthy to be constantly comparing your current self to your former self?
My issue with these trends is that they primarily have to do with the way you look rather than the way that you feel. This contributes largely to what I like to call “glo-up culture.” “Glo-up culture” is what I consider to be the pressure to have a full cosmetic transformation; from being considered once unattractive to now very attractive. Whether it be weight loss, cosmetic surgery, or even a new hair color, there is pressure to always be improving your appearance. But it’s unrealistic and exhausting to be constantly holding yourself to a standard that you need to be getting more and more attractive all the time. Not only is it unrealistic and exhausting, but it’s harmful to your perception of yourself. With the way that certain physical features and body types cycle through trends in beauty, women especially, are constantly chasing a standard of beauty that is unattainable. The pressure of attempting to conform to the current beauty standard is upsetting and harmful enough without the added pressure of comparing yourself to how you used to look.
A lot of the time with these trends, people are comparing how they look, as adults to how they used to look, as teenagers. Women, especially, are held to a standard of thinness that is equated with beauty, and as women age, they are more likely to gain weight. However, you are comparing what your body was when you were practically a child to what it is now as a grown adult. It is natural and okay to gain weight with age. So, if your body looks different than how it looked when you were a teenager, just remember that your worth and beauty are not contingent on your ability to stay thin.
We are always changing as people. Sometimes it’s nice to celebrate how far we have come in life and see that change documented in pictures. There will always be times when you think you look better now than you have in the past or vice versa. But don’t get hung up on the idea that you need to constantly be getting more attractive or need to have a “glo up.” Instead, taking care of yourself, prioritizing your mental health and overall wellness, and feeling that change for yourself will be a better indicator that you are doing better than any comparison picture ever could.
Can’t get enough of HC UMass Amherst? Be sure to follow us on Instagram, listen to us on Spotify, like us on Facebook, and read our latest Tweets!