"I didn’t realise doomscrolling was killing my self-worth"
Inspired by L’Oréal Paris’s ‘Lessons of Worth’ five women reveal when they realised they were enough
Have you ever scrolled through your 2011 social media posts and cringed at every single one? Back then, everyone was authentically messy, and we were all cringe together. Fast forward to today, and our feeds are more curated than our mom’s crockery cabinet. Your neighbor Preeti posts pictures of perfectly-plated breakfast bowls, while Neha from marketing shares endless carousels from her Saturday night out, looking like she has a personal glam squad. Meanwhile, when you hit the dance floor and feel like a sweaty mess with runny eye makeup.
The gap between social media reality and actual reality can mess with your head as you try to live up to those beauty standards. In an article The Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy warns that social media comparison breeds “feelings of inadequacy, anxiety, and depression”; not to mention body dissatisfaction and eating disorders.
L’Oréal Paris’s Lessons of Worth series is trying to flip this script. The campaign features real conversations about the pressure women face in this digital world. Actor and brand ambassador Aishwarya Rai Bachchan sums it up quite well, “Let’s not go searching for our self-worth elsewhere, certainly not on social media. The only ‘like’ that matters is the one you give yourself. Worth is innate.”
So, we asked five women how they learned to trust their inner voice and discovered their self-worth.
5 Indian women talk about finding their self-worth
Riya Katgeri, 26, financial analyst
“Initially, I would see pictures of models, celebrities, and influencers and get very conscious of my own looks. It’s a very unrealistic beauty standard to meet. As I started observing more closely and even discussed this with my friends, I realised that most of these images are heavily edited and use filters. I decided to stop comparing myself with what I see on social media, and embraced my body and my looks the way they are. I won’t lie, there are days when my posts get attention and my self-esteem goes up, but I’m training myself to not attach my self-worth to it.”
My confidence mantra: “I practise positive affirmations and when I am feeling insecure, I talk to my best friends who give me the support I need. We have each other’s back, and hype each other up.”
Prachi Uphade, 29, doctor
“As a dusky-skinned woman in a country where beauty is still strongly tied to colourism, posts that praised celebrities for looking better after skin-lightening treatments cut deep. The underlying message I absorbed was that lighter skin automatically made someone more attractive, happier, and more loved, and that left me questioning my own worth. For years, I felt like I had to ‘fix’ something about myself to be seen as beautiful. I started reading content on social media as well as publications on how dusky can be beautiful too. It’s taken a lot of unlearning to realise beauty isn’t tied to my skin tone.
That’s when I decided I will follow accounts that are skin-positive and also limit my doomscrolling. What actually helps is switching my phone to greyscale mode to dull the magnetic pull of mindless scrolling. When I catch myself doomscrolling, I’ll switch to doodling, reading, or annoying my kitty.”
My confidence mantra: “I follow a number of growth-focused accounts such as Dr. Nawal Mustafa, Ali Abdaal, Anna Kai (aka Maybeboth), and Amy Wright. They challenge limiting beliefs, encourage healing, and offer practical steps to evolve. I’ve also built confidence-boosting rituals into my day: filling out my gratitude journal in the morning, fluffing up my ego in the mirror, and blasting Megan Thee Stallion when I need an instant boost.”
Anvita Goenka, 32, yoga instructor
“Social media comparisons don’t make me insecure about my appearance, for me I have my own anxiety and underconfidence to blame for that. But social media does makes me fear that I will be left behind if I don’t keep up with trends. So I decided to tweak my algorithm to use it more productively to update myself with sports and other events I’ve always been interested in.”
My confidence mantra: “I feel most confident when I’m working out regularly and eating healthy. A clean gut and a good sweat session is all I need.”
Aradhana Asher, 42, homemaker
“When I go through social media and see all these 40-something celebrities and influencers with no signs of ageing on their face, it makes me feel the crushing weight of having to look young. It’s probably because people equate beauty with youthfulness, especially on social media. Why else would we have so many filters that blur out lines and skin textures? Even if someone openly admits to using fillers and filters, it makes me believe that wrinkles should be hidden like the ugly junk you shove in the drawers before guests arrive. Sometimes I come across a post that makes me insecure, and then I doomscroll hoping to find something that takes away that feeling.”
My confidence mantra: “I remind myself that everyone’s journey is different and what matters the most is how I feel about myself. I may feel insecure sometimes, but my confidence comes from looking within.”
Vandita, 26, chartered accountant
“I was going through a phase when I wasn’t feeling my physical best. Whenever I’d be resting and have some idle time, I’d scroll through social media and see travel and fashion influencers with glass skin, toned bodies, and perfectly curated outfits. I would avoid posting pictures of myself because I thought I didn’t look presentable enough. I started being more critical of small things, my skin texture, my outfit choices, even my complexion. It was exhausting, but over time, I learned to remind myself that social media is just a snapshot, not the full picture of someone’s life.
My confidence mantra: “I remind myself daily: ‘I am enough just as I am’. I also practice gratitude by listing three things I like about myself or that I’ve done well. Over time, it’s helped me build resilience and focus more on how I feel rather than how I look.”
It’s tempting to chase that validation and adhere to those impossible beauty standards. But your messy hair looks gorgeous because it shows you danced your heart out. Your nose may look large, but you inherited it from your father and it tells the story of your ancestors. Reminding yourself ‘you’re worth it’ is not revolutionary advice, but sometimes these simple words hit different when you’re ten posts deep into someone else’s seemingly perfect life at 2AM.