How Does Blogging Affect Our Self-Confidence?

I've always said that my blog and being so immersed in the blogosphere has helped my self-confidence immensely and for the most part, that's true. Before I created Salt and Chic I had barely any confidence and I don't just mean about my appearance. I would struggle to talk to new people, would feel anxious at the mere thought of going places by myself and I never for one second thought I was good enough to achieve much at all. Since then, I've worked with huge brands, modelled for big campaigns, travelled abroad alone and achieved things I could have only dreamed of and in that sense, blogging myself and seeing other bloggers achieve amazing things too has completely helped my self-confidence in immeasurable ways. But what about body confidence? What about the way blogging affects or self-esteem, particularly in relation to our looks?

VENICE CROPPED SWEATSHIRT: ZARA / OVERSIZED WHITE SHIRT: TOPSHOP / RIPPED SKINNY JEANS: ASOS / *WATCH: c/o ELIE BEAUMONT / *BLACK ANKLE BOOTS: c/o RAID FOOTWEAR / *CHAKRA BRACELET: c/o DAISY LONDON / *PINK BACKPACK: c/o NEW LOOK 

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love blogging and being part of the blogging community but there are times that I worry about it. We're bombarded with perfect photos of perfect looking people with perfect looking skin and clothes and homes and bags and everything else, so much so that no matter how hard I try, no matter how nice I look or well I do my make-up, I wonder "am I enough?" The effortlessly beautiful street style photos, the polished Instagram feeds and the designer bags, the photoshopped faces and the beautiful, tall, thin women who are everywhere inspire me beyond belief but there are days where I just totally destroy myself. I look at my photos and no matter how good I looked hat day I'll find a fault. My hair is flicking up there. I look like I have no eyelashes. You can see my wonky tooth. I look really small there. The list of faults I find with myself is endless and I always wonder: would I do this if I didn't blog? If I didn't study hundreds of different photos of myself every day? If I didn't have a reason to compare myself to the other bloggers out there? 

It worries me that these days, blogs have become so polished they're basically like flicking through the same polished magazines that line our shelves and give us unrealistic expectations and if that's how your blog is then that's okay. I've always said I have nothing but support for those who love designer things etc etc and that's something for another post but the shift that we have seen in blogging in past year or so has been phenomenal. Gone are the days of taking photos in your bedroom on a tripod and simply adjusting the brightness or writing about monthly empties. We all crave the street style photos that could grace the pages of Vogue and I know I'll never have them. I live in a shitty area and don't have pretty streets and I don't have flawless skin or the most expensive clothes but does that make me any less of a blogger? Sometimes, I feel like it does. Others it doesn't/ But my worry is that as bloggers we scrutinise every cell in our body, comparing it to others and I have no doubt that those who we compare ourselves to, compare themselves to others and feel  the same in a vicious circle of low body and self-confidence. 

What do you think? Is blogging good or bad for the self-esteem?

Amy x