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The scary side of social media and similar apps.
Snapchat, Instagram, and other social media networks are working hard to give us the perfect selfie. Toying with your image can be fun, but the more time you spend trying to perfect yourself, the more likely you are to become another victim of selfie dysmorphia.
Filters are part of everyday life, but they are just that: filters, and in no way, shape, or form do they represent reality. However, the unattainable standards of beauty can take a toll on a person’s self-esteem. Though it’s more likely to cause real harm among younger generations, people in their 40s or 50s are also caught up in the perfect selfie game. And that’s when plastic surgeons get asked to turn their clients into what they look like with filters.
Filtered images are blurring the line of reality and fantasy and can be triggering for body dysmorphic disorder BDD, according to US medical journal JAMA. It usually starts with imperfections on one’s nose, then creating a perfect pout and flawless skin. But it’s not enough. With filters and Photoshop-like apps, you get bigger eyes, perfect eyelashes, no dark circles around the eyes, and a taut jawline.
BDD caused by selfie dysmorphia is attacking almost 2% of populations, both male and female. It’s hard to diagnose since it’s a new phenomenon, and people don’t think that taking 300 selfies per day can be harmful. The most common symptom is always checking your reflection, but others go the opposite: they don’t look at themselves without the filters.
Despite many body positivity movements from famous people or influencers, this disorder is on the rise. It’s even harder explaining to someone that they might need mental health professionals over selfies. It’s not about enhancing your photos (we’re all guilty of that), it is that constant feeling of wanting more, wanting to look even more perfect with each picture. It’s an obsession and a vicious circle. Even cosmetic surgeons are wondering what is going on.
According to Dr. Paul Nassif, from the TV show Botched, “It’s the millennial generation that we are worried about most with selfie dysmorphia. They have moved away from requesting celebrity noses, and instead, they are bringing in filtered images of themselves that they want to have procedures to look like.” The doctor also points out that many young women go to untrained medical professionals and destroy their looks forever. It leads to mood disorders, depression, and, yes, selfie dysmorphia.
There’s no simple or quick solution. We have to live with filters and have fun with them, not to try to look like them. But most importantly, we need to educate ourselves and younger generations. Everyone needs to know that what’s presented on the internet is not a reflection of real life.
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