Most women really hate photos of themselves. We shy away from the camera - a captured expression of self-consciousness only compounds the problem! It is true though, that we become less critical of these photos some years later. This attitude is really stupid and seems like some kind of twisted vanity. It is only recently that I have found a solid explanation for it.

The source of the problem is indeed the oft-blamed media saturation with skinny models and beautiful celebrities. The same thing that is blamed for the common conditions of eating disorders and other body dysmorphic disorders. But it is not just a shallow wish to look like them. In fact it goes much deeper than that.

Read Victoria McMagnus' latest article at Women's Portal: How the Media Creates Destructive Ideals of Attractiveness