Gen Z's Important Message on Why Women Need To 'Zoom Out' Goes Viral

Newsweek

4 hours ago

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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A 25-year-old woman who spent years picking apart photos of herself before posting—or deleting—them has shared a powerful message on Instagram, racking up more than 3.4 million views.
Emma-Kirsty Fraser posted a candid photo of herself laughing with a friend alongside the caption: "ZOOM OUT, I beg. I think it's quite terrifying when you realize how much brainwashing it took to get you to zoom in and criticize yourself in so much detail?"
The National Organization for Women (NOW) found that 53 percent of American girls say they are unhappy with their bodies by age 13. By 17, that number jumps to 78 percent.
It is a statistic that resonates deeply with Fraser, who deleted nearly every photo of herself taken between the ages of 17 and 21.
Two screenshots from the viral video showing a close-up of Fraser's arm and the full image, of Fraser and her friend.
Two screenshots from the viral video showing a close-up of Fraser's arm and the full image, of Fraser and her friend.
Instagram/@ordinaryemm_
"I used to delete group photos if I thought I looked 'bad,'" Fraser told Newsweek. "I wish I hadn't. It was never about how I actually looked—it was how I felt about my body. Thankfully, that's changed, but I'll never get those photos back."
In the video, Fraser zooms in on her arms, chin and legs before cutting back to the full image with the text: "Imagine the brainwashing required to get us to see this … instead of this."
Fraser, who comes from South Africa, said she had a moment recently where she almost fell back into old habits.
"I was at an event and got some photos back, and for a tiny second, I nearly zoomed in on myself," she said. "Then I just looked at the full picture and thought, 'Wow, I've come a long way.'"
Just a few years ago, Fraser added, her appearance felt like the most important part of her identity.
"Physical appearance was the most-important thing to me," she said. "I thought it was the most-interesting thing about me and that I had to uphold some sort of reputation for being disciplined, strong, skinny etc.
"I was always viewing myself through this critical lens," Fraser added.
She traces much of that mindset back to growing up around body-obsessed media and behavior.
"It started with trash magazines," Fraser said. "And older generations picking apart their bodies in front of us didn't help."
These days, she takes a more balanced approach. "I try to stay neutral," she said. "I don't let myself stare too long in the mirror. I don't go up close to analyze my face anymore. I realized no one else is looking at me that way—and, even if they were, I'm more than my body. And my body's more than how it looks."
Fraser credits sport for helping shift her perspective. She said: "Sport reminded me that my body can do cool things. That's what I want to remember when I look back on my life. I want to have those photos—and the memories—to show for it."
Fraser's video has drawn almost 30,000 likes and a flood of supportive comments.
"At every point I was like, what is she talking about? Yeah, I see her arm?" one commenter wrote. "I assume you're pointing out imperfections, but I literally don't see them."
Another posted: "The fact I saw this picture and ONLY thought about how it was such a beautiful candid and captured your vibe perfectly."
And a third added: "Crazy part? What am I even looking at? The tattoos? Then I realized … it really is so sad. Instead of living and laughing with friends, we're worrying about this stuff."