In a 1983 study headed up by Professor Thomas Cash, researchers found that when participants looked at photos of attractive celebrities versus attractive peers, they reported more negative self-esteem when looking at peers. The researchers ascribed this to people believing that celebrities are less similar to themselves and therefore less of a comparison group. But now, in an age where you don’t have to have a blockbuster movie or hit record to command a following, where does that distinction lie? Eighty-two percent of the women Ofcom surveyed said they felt it was important to look their best in selfies and, on average, we take around six selfies before choosing one to upload. But only 16% of us feel we can confidently tell what’s real and what’s fake. My friend Tom, 24, who quit Instagram a year ago, said: "Even knowing how staged a lot of the content is, it’s near impossible to not be sucked in by the fantasy and compare it to your own image. It’s aspirational, but not in a positive or uplifting way. I knew the photos were Photoshopped, filtered and fillered, but unlike conventional print ads, you as another user have the same tools and platform at your fingertips. I’m not going to see myself on a billboard anytime soon, but I can upload another FaceTuned selfie." We all put our best foot forward online (and when potential employers and dates scope you out on Insta, why wouldn’t you?), but as long as the targets keep moving, we’ll never be satisfied. "The sinister thing," Tom added, "was that I didn’t care the photos were fake. I still wanted some of that."