Do Face Filters Set Unfair Standards?
A while ago, face filters were so unusual they were funny. Now, as old ones evolved and newer ones developed, filters started becoming an everyday thing. With this development arose the ability to alter certain features on our faces or even add new ones. And while some may seem harmless, there is an underlying negative side effect.
When you open Snapchat and Instagram to take a picture, there is an array of filters you can use. While they vary, all of them change your face, whether it smoothes skin, makes eyes prominent, or contours the face. Because we take so many photos on our phones, we're used to seeing ourselves through a lens. Unfortunately, when we get so accustomed to seeing a false version of ourselves, we cannot unsee itWe no longer recognize ourselves without filters.
Not only do we compare ourselves to the idealized version of "ourselves," but we associate with the filtered pictures and videos of those around us. It's no secret that influencers retouch photos and use Facetune, but these truths don't stop us from feeling insecure when we compare. The retouched pictures cause us to change our perspective on beauty standards to what we see through the images. A study now shows that 94 percent of youth today experience some form of social challenge through body dysmorphia. Most of this insecurity is said to have branched off of social media. Forms of bullying, either online or at school, also start by shaming and putting down someone’s imperfections. This is all because when we open instagram, our feed is flooded with photos of these impossible, plastic faces and bodies. And though these people are altered to look perfect, they are still compared to young adults today and this impressionable group feels ashamed of themselves. When this group gets older, they start to seek plastic surgery as a means of liberating themselves from what they see as socially unfit. A statistic from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons said that over 18 million cosmetic surgeries were done in 2019 alone. And while plastic surgery is not at all terrible in the least, the intention of looking perfect is where things start to get problematic.
The reason these tools cause unfair beauty standards is that they are impossible to achieve. We morph what we see as attractive and criticize ourselves, and this is where filters and Facetune start to become less harmless and more toxic. I feel like we should recognize, as a community, that these tools are being used to alter reality and understand that these “perfect people” are not what they seem. While social media is growing and evolving, hopefully we get to see an awakening where, instead of preaching perfection, platforms embrace flaws and become a more accepting and healthy environment.
