How are beauty filters affecting our mental health?
Editing software has become more sophisticated in recent years, it is now possible to Photoshop all your ‘flaws’ in just one click, and beauty filters are now a standard part of the social media experience.
But what are the effects of these tools on our mental health? What can psychological research tell us about how social media-influenced beauty practices affect our well-being?
Digital filters are a common part of social media platforms today, most notably on Instagram and Snapchat. Allowing users to superimpose various images, scenes, and words onto their own faces using their mobile phones.
‘Plastic surgery’ filters are popular on these sites, enabling users to digitally alter their faces; widening their eyes, making their lips bigger, slimming their faces and smoothing their skin. However, in the media and online there has been substantial backlash about these filters and their effect on young people, especially young women.
But how exactly are these filters affecting people’s body image? Are they actually having a negative effect? What are the risks and benefits of using these filters?
Whilst the science is still inconclusive on this. Recent research suggests they may be having more of a detrimental impact than we realise.
Are beauty filters harming people’s mental health?
Young people today spend an increasing amount of time on social media. The Office for National Statistics reports that the most popular use of the internet for adults aged 16-24 years (96%) and 25-34 years (88%) is social networking. Increased social media use has been related to more body image concerns and eating disorders.
Other research has suggested that Instagram is one of the most detrimental social media platforms for young people’s mental health and well-being, and a 2016 study found that viewing pictures of attractive celebrities and peers on Instagram has a negative effect on women’s moods and body image.
These filters may seem like harmless fun but the underlying message can reinforce Western beauty standards and negatively impact users’ body image and mood. It is purported that some filters promote western beauty standards, by whitening skin, making noses thinner and making eyes rounder. These unrealistic standards may negatively affect Black and Asian users leading to increased body image concerns, increased risk for poor health and lower well-being.
They may also encourage users to want to change their appearance to adhere to these ideals.
Social media-inspired surgeries are increasing
In recent years the amount of young people getting cosmetic surgery, influenced by what they see online has been increasing.
Around 30,000 procedures were carried out in 2017 according to the British Association for Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons and according to the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery requests for surgery as a result of social media photo sharing has increased recently. The most popular procedures to be requested as a result of social media influence are rhinoplasty, Botox and facelifts.
Similarly, research conducted in Saudi Arabia found that social media is a key source of information for aesthetic procedures, with Instagram being the most influential. Suggesting the influence of social media on our perceptions of beauty and body image is not only a Western issue.
A more recent study found that the use of Snapchat and Instagram photo filters led to increased acceptance and consideration of cosmetic surgery, in comparison to non-users.
Further evidence to suggest that the number of aesthetic procedures being performed has risen due to the use of face filters on social media has been reported. Out of those surveyed 42% of young women reported deciding to have facial changes after applying Snapchat filters.
Therefore, it could be argued that the look achieved through filters may be persuading some young people to get cosmetic enhancements, or at the very least making them more likely to consider it.
Photo editing is affecting mental health
Further, related research suggests that photo editing is having a harmful impact on our mental health. Photo editing uses a similar process to digital filters, in which users can manipulate their photos to their ideal state e.g. a thinner face, or smoother skin.
One study found that among adolescent girls, those who manipulated their photos more often reported a higher level of concern with their bodies and greater dissatisfaction. Body dissatisfaction is also associated with low self-esteem among adolescent girls. This could be a cause for concern as both body dissatisfaction and low self-esteem early in life predict adverse health outcomes later in life, such as disordered eating, depressed mood, and psychological distress.
However, adolescents tend to be more concerned about their appearance, and with age, research has shown that body dissatisfaction tends to decrease. As well, everyone has some level of concern about their appearance, finding aspects that they do not like.
Making assumptions based on studies focused on adolescents at a singular time point in their lives can not provide definitive results about the long-term effects of filters. Therefore, it is difficult to conclusively say that beauty filters harm our mental health.
A new phenomenon: Snapchat Dysmorphia
Although, that is not to say that the trends in cosmetic surgery as a result of social media filters aren’t concerning.
A somewhat controversial term recently popularized is ‘Snapchat Dysmorphia’. Based on Body Dysmorphia Disorder (BDD), a condition in which patients have a preoccupation with a perceived defect in their physical appearance. In Snapchat Dysmorphia people are thought to instead wish to look like their filtered pictures.
Snapchat Dysmorphia has been argued by some cosmetic doctors to lead to young people deciding to get cosmetic surgery to look like their digital selves. More upsettingly, the outcomes of these Snapchat-inspired surgeries are usually unrealistic, cosmetic surgeons warn.
Nonetheless, the long-term effects of digital filters are yet to be studied comprehensively, and there is a lack of experimental research, which can tell us about the cause and effects of digital filters on body image and mental health. Therefore, we must be tentative when making any sweeping claims about ‘Snapchat Dysmorphia’ and its effects on users.
How do beauty filters influence body image?
Sociocultural theory suggests that people learn beauty standards from their peers, the media and parents, judging their appearance based on the standards defined by the society in which they live.
The media is one channel through which messages about beauty ideals are portrayed, affecting how women perceive themselves and whether they engage in appearance-changing strategies.
For example, a study found that greater psychological investment in one’s physical appearance and greater internalisation of mass media messages about beauty ideals predicted more favourable attitudes towards cosmetic surgery.
Other research looking at university women’s choice of whether to post natural selfies or, photos with Snapchat’s beauty filters applied, found that perceptions of attractiveness, presenting a façade and self-esteem were possible reasons why women were drawn to using the filters.
Social media is a prevailing aspect of our lives and the real-life concerns about image and social perception that we have seem to be reflected in our online behaviours. It may be that the social pressures of looking good are persuasive in encouraging filter use.
However, arguably, in 2023 we are not just passive followers consuming all media. People’s feeds can be curated to include following those that inspire them and encourage them to feel good about themselves. We no longer have to just ‘do what the fashion media tells us’, users can and are beginning to craft their own perceptions of beauty.
Further, not all filters promote idealized beauty standards, many allow users to add special effects to photos, or superimpose themselves into fun backgrounds, such as floating in space.
It can be argued that these filters are an expression of creativity and allow users to play with their appearances in fun ways. For example, a 2018 study found that Snapchat face filters can be liberating for individuals. Should we then attempt to restrict the use of digital filters? When filters do also offer a form of escapism and the ability to transcend conventional beauty practices, adopting our own new standards and pushing the boundaries of what beauty can and should look like.
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What effects are beauty filters having on people?
As beauty filters are a relatively new phenomenon there is limited research available about how social media filters affect our body image and mental health. Related research suggests that the manipulation of images to adhere to idealized beauty standards can have negative effects on young people’s beliefs about their appearance, and may encourage them to seek out risky ways to alter it, such as through cosmetic surgery. Once more research is conducted examining the long-term effects of the use of digital filters, we will be able to better assess the impact that they are having.
If you think you may be struggling with any of the issues raised in this article, please consult the NHS website, for assistance.
Final thoughts
What do you think of the use of filters and other appearance editing tools on social media? How do you think it is or isn’t affecting us?
What, if anything, do you think should be done about it?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
KEY POINTS - Are beauty filters affecting mental health?
•The use of filters is widespread on social media and has only become more popular. Editing software has made it easier than ever to ‘enhance yourself on the go’.
•Whilst the relationship between the use of filters and photo editing tools on our mental health has not been scientifically established, the research reviewed suggests it could be contributing to less-than-desirable outcomes in body image.
•Further research will be able to highlight how and to what extent this is affecting us.
