The Ego-Boosting Effects of Beauty Filters Are Not Worth It
How filters are distorting the way we see ourselves
When augmented-reality filters first made their appearance on social media, they were actually fun. With just one click, you could puke a rainbow, have bunny ears, wear a pizza crown, or find out which Disney villain you are.
But today, more and more people — especially teenage girls — are using filters or apps that ‘beautify’ their appearance, in some cases to create an almost unrecognisable version of themselves.
I wanted to see what all the fuss was about, and I tried one of the beauty apps on myself. You can see two side-by-side photos in the cover image: my natural self on the left and the ‘beautified’ version on the right.
The altered one is just…weird.
I look like I’m about to shoot another episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians or sell you some detox tea which is 100% guaranteed not to work.
Despite an often unrealistic result, face filters have become commonplace across social media and are perhaps the most widespread use of augmented reality. But what does it mean for the perception we have of ourselves and our mental wellbeing?
