Let’s talk about Social Media.
Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok. These are the apps that are most frequented by todays young generation. If you’re on any one of these even, chances are you’ve probably dabbled in playing with the filters on these apps.
Okay hold up, some filters can be fun of course especially ones that turn you into a Disney cartoon like version of yourself or give you the Euphoria aesthetic neon lighting glittery look to make you pass the Euphoria High vibe check that all of us seem to be way too obsessed with these days( Okay yeah not everyone just me and my completely healthy and non-toxic obsession with Maddy and Cassie and Rue and Nate and yeah-).
Moving on-
By the ugly side of filters I mean, the “beauty filters” in particular, which basically give you a nose-job, a lip injection, a small oval face and coloured eye-lenses of either blue or sometimes hazel.
These filters spark self-esteem issues among users through an emphasis on unrealistic and impossible western beauty standards which is based on layers of ageism, racism, and fat-phobia. Through a deceptive prism of inflated expectations, filters enable individuals to glimpse what they “could perhaps look like.”
Influencers and celebrities on social media promote a constructed concept of beauty that is only accessible to those with wealth. Influencers who have the means can afford top-notch skincare, substantial cosmetic surgery, and pricey personal training. The lavish, perfectly crafted looks of the affluent and powerful are frequently imitated by filters, but they fail to recognise that a substantial portion of their core audience is made up of young women who are probably unable to purchase the same luxury.
How the Kardashians Normalised Social Media Filters
Since the Kardashian-Jenner family gained notoriety for being “famous for being famous,” the sisters have made their place as the royalty of Instagram. Being some of the top most followed users on Instagram worldwide with Kylie Jenner at #3 with 371 million followers, Kim Kardashian at #8 with 330 million followers and Khloe Kardashian at #10 with 273 million followers with the rest of the clan following closely behind, the Kardashians have such a large presence on Instagram that their specific physical aesthetic has been dubbed the “Instagram face”.
A face that is white but with ambiguous ethnic traits, high cheekbones, full lips, and poreless skin along with inhumanely curves is sculpted by the practise of face tuning and social media filters. The Kardashians are being rewarded for selling the Instagram face as the ideal appearance to have, even though it resembles anime characters who were created to be objectified for their sexual attributes. The problem here is that the filters that replicate such an “Instagram Image” are easily accessible and girls without a second thought tend to use them to digitally edit their appearance.
Not to mention, Kim Kardashian has also been caught photoshopping her own children. Kim acknowledged in April 2022 that she photoshopped her niece True’s face onto her niece Stormi’s body since the original photo “ruined her aesthetic.” She also used a filter to darken Stormi’s hand so it matched True’s skin tone. It is extremely damaging to encourage the usage of changing children’s skin tone for cosmetic reasons, especially when many interracial youths do not experience a feeling of belonging in one ethnicity or another.
The Mental Health Impacts
Think about it- There will inevitably be consequences when there is a difference between the image you see in the mirror every day and what is posted online. Aside from cosmetic treatments, there is a clear correlation between social media filters and reduced self-esteem, self-confidence, suicidal thoughts and increased incidences of body dysmorphia.
These filters, in addition to perpetuating feelings of loneliness and isolation, can contribute to poor self-esteem. At the same time that social media is eroding people’s self-esteem, we are witnessing an increase in loneliness because these filters create a ‘self-reinforcing feedback loop’ that leads to individuals spending more hours on social media, chasing virtual validation, and less time interacting with people in actual life.
While the effects are most visible among social media users, they rapidly seep into and infiltrate the general beauty standards and aesthetic standards for all of us. So, even if a person does not spend much time on social media, they are nevertheless exposed to pictures and items influenced by the phenomena of filter-enhanced expectations.
So, What To Do About It?
Okay, what if you’re someone who can admit that the social media filters that totally transform your face are fake and still use them because you don’t consciously experience any negative emotions pertaining to it which I personally also did a year ago. I believe that confronting and reminding ourselves rationally and emotionally that these pictures are not real is a smart starting step. It’s also crucial to recognise whether social media is causing depression, stress, or solitude and what you can do about it to remove such negative emotions.
Accepting your unfiltered, natural body begins with practises of educating yourself about body positivity, self-acceptance and self-love and reminding yourself that filtered outcomes aren’t possible. As a result, social media will revert to being an enjoyable method to socialise with friends, rather than a fabricated world with unattainable beauty standards.
