God, I'm so glad I"m 56 years old and don't worry about this. Volunteer, invest in your career and your friends.

There was literally just a segment on NBC about Instagram and how it has caused young women to have body image issues, and has been linked to suicides.

Well I don’t trust social media and everybody is using filters these days but I do think a lot of it comes down to good hair, good skin, good hair, good smile and teeth, and being proportional. I don’t have those things so I always look like a dumpster fire, especially as I get older. and it’s not that I’m bad looking.

It depends on what you mean always look perfect.

I know women who always look put together and elegant even if only wearing simple jeans and shirts. It's because they have an instinct for what colors and styles work. Not all t-shirts or jeans are created equal.

I once had a roommate like this, and she spent AT LEAST 2 hours every morning getting ready before she'd leave the house.

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They spend more time on their looks AND they know their angles. If you have any good friends who are into photography, ask them to spend some time with you. They will tell you what works for you and from then on you'll always look better in the photos.

You need to build up your self esteem. Be confident. Act confident, believe you are confident.

Are you talking about people you see in real life?

Because Instagram is fake. You can stage all of that stuff through editing and filters (like a full face of makeup!).

I bet you look better than you think, OP. We are our own worst critic.

How are they doing it? -Filters, photoshop, deleting unflattering angles, etc. Go out in the real world. Reality is beautiful.

Wait, you're basing this off of what you see on social media??

That photo on IG is posed AF. Like, 60 minutes getting hair & make up ready, picking out an outfit the day before, and then shooting a minimum of 30-40 photos.

Yes a LOT more time. And also a ton of time getting just tbe right photo (it may look natural but its carefully posed and possibly edited).

I am in shape, spend money on clothes/beauty/hair (not a ton but I do invest in these things), and I always feel like I have nothing to wear and I look unkempt. I don't think I'm unattractive and can look good when I am pulled together but I feel like that's so rare and get's harder as I get older.

I never go on Instagram, it wasn't even downloaded to my current phone which I got months and months ago. But I had a message on there so I downloaded the app to see it and wound up scrolling. I know all these women who always look great -- their clothes are so flattering and fit them really well and they have the right accessories and they have all these photos of themselves just in their everyday lives looking as pulled together as I look for, like, a wedding. How are they doing it?

I feel like part of the problem is I'm not investing in stuff like expensive bras or tailoring but I don't even know where to start with that stuff. It feels overwhelming. I'm never going to find a lipstick that flatters and doesn't rub off instantly. My hair is always going to look a little messy unless I take 45 minutes to "do" it. I can never find shoes and bags that really go with a lot in my closet and feel like I'm always wearing something that almost works but doesn't quite. Are these women just spending a LOT more time and money on this stuff, or are they just naturally more beautiful, or what. I feel like I have the raw ingredients and just can't seem to pull it off.