Week 8, The Impact of Snapchats Filter to Young People.
Snapchat is a well-known social media that is now very popular among young people that allows users to send a picture or a video to their contacts. According to (Baker 2020, p. 208) Users can incorporate augmented reality into their daily clothing routines and self-presentation by using these filters to add virtual accessories and change facial characteristics. There are various types of filters provided and they can be fun to use, but on the other hand they have some negative consequences.
These filters have several drawbacks, one of which is that they promote a limited and false beauty ideal. By taking a user's characteristics and altering them to conform to a stereotypical definition of beauty, Snapchat thins down the face, slims and shortens the nose, enlarges the eyes, plumps the lips, and evens out the skin (Baker 2020, p. 209). Users who feel they do not meet these standards may experience feelings of inadequacy and insecurity, especially among young people who may be more susceptible to these messages. There are some indications that young women use Snapchat filters and other photo editing tools in a particularly frightening way, altering their appearance in photos to the extent that their authentic selves are no longer acceptable (Habib, Ali, Nazir & Mahfooz 2022, p. 1).
The effect of these filters on mental health is another issue of great concern. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America claims that these applications are causing people to have a distorted perception of who they are and to dwell on their imperfections, a condition known as body dysmorphic disorder (Uloop, Inc Carlsbad 2018 p. 1). It is important to understand how daily exposure to these finely edited and carefully filtered photos by this app causes everyday women to lose touch with reality because these depictions are less common than those seen in mainstream media according to (Habib, Ali, Nazir & Mahfooz 2022, p. 1).
This sentiment of dissatisfaction can be exacerbated by the frequent use of filters and the pressure to project the perfect image, which can be harmful to mental health. The importance of being able to control the use of filters in existing apps is an important factor in remaining self-accepting. Picking and choosing what is appropriate to have fun with these filters is a consideration that we must think about so that nothing happens that we don't want.
Reference :
Baker, J 2020, "Making-up on mobile: The pretty filters and ugly implications of snapchat", Fashion, Style & Popular Culture, vol. 7, no. 2 & 3, pp. 208-210
Habib, A, Ali, T, Nazir, Z & Mahfooz, A 2022, "Snapchat filters changing young women’s attitudes", Annals of medicine and surgery, vol. 82, Elsevier Ltd, pp. 104668–104668.
Snapchat filter plastic surgery: next big thing? 2018, Uloop, Inc, Carlsbad.
