Many people are constantly glued to their phones and let social media consume their lives. It’s no shocker that they are far out of touch with reality. They also become obsessed with the unrealistic beauty standards on social media. Editing every photo turns into a daily habit.

But some take it to extreme lengths and look almost unrecognizable. Well, the Instagram Reality community exposes these photoshop fails , and they honestly look ridiculous. We compiled the most outrageous ones for you, so just scroll down and check them out!

Since the digital revolution, social media has grown in popularity rapidly. According to Statista , internet users spent an average of 141 minutes per day on social platforms, and over 5.4 billion people used social media in 2025. What started as an innocent online space for socializing with friends and family now serves many purposes.

From advertising to dating or even politics, social media is almost everywhere. Pew Research has revealed that while YouTube (84%) and Facebook (71%) are more popular, almost 50% of American adults use Instagram. 

While these sites help you socialize, there’s no denying that extensive usage has caused a lot of damage. It has also created unrealistic beauty standards, and sadly, people want to conform to them, especially when celebrities and influencers do it.

The digital identity security specialists ID Crypt Global surveyed 778 18- to 25-year-olds. 33% of respondents admitted to digitally doctoring their photographs before posting them on social media. Many shared a common motivation. When the respondents were asked if they felt pressure to doctor their images to present themselves in a certain way, such as to look like celebrities and influencers, 58% answered “yes.”

A smaller group of respondents said they took more steps to edit their photos, with 18% saying they use a separate picture-editing app on their phone to alter the image before uploading.

According to social comparison theory, individuals judge their worth by comparing themselves to others. Experts stress that people who regularly compare themselves to others may feel motivated to improve, but may also experience deep dissatisfaction and engage in destructive behavior such as lying. No wonder people often resort to editing their photos just to fit into the Instagram mold of beauty.