Social Media: Friend or Foe? Part II

Social Media: Friend or Foe? Part II

As discussed in the first volume of this series, social media has introduced new methods of communication for users who can benefit from unimpeded interactivity. It has certainly changed the way we navigate our social lives, reshaping the way we connect, interact, and engage with others.

When used as a means to facilitate our social lives, social media brings many benefits. However, when overused it can lead to us forming unrealistic expectations, neglecting real-life interactions, and even experiencing greater anxiety.

This article will discuss how social media has impacted our everyday lives, especially as a response to circumstances changing around the world in 2020:

Body Dysmorphia Some would argue that people are doing worse than ever because the technology that’s meant to be keeping us together is actually making us feel bad. Spending countless hours on Zoom can lead to us feeling insecure about our appearance, where video conferencing represents a constant unfiltered version of ourselves.

This can be unsettling for the average user, especially when front-facing cameras are in essence a distorted reflection of reality. It’s important to remember that we

Social Media: Friend or Foe? Part II didn’t evolve to see our faces all the time, which is why today’s selfie-driven culture goes against our natural instincts.

Cameras are renowned for causing certain facial characteristics to change, another critical factor that’s led to today’s Zoom dysmorphia phenomenon. To compound matters further, there is another technology that’s making us feel even worse about ourselves…

Photo Filters Filters make us look more attractive, but they set unhealthy standards which are impossible to match. They have been coined harmful because they exploit our obsession with personal appearance in a selfie culture where mental health issues are multiplying. In today’s selfie generation, self-esteem has reached new lows, where consumers are losing touch with reality in a world where inhuman is considered desirable.

These unrealistic expectations of beauty make us feel insecure about our natural appearance, where the filtered renditions of people are becoming the new norm.

This can have undesirable consequences for teens who are at crucial stages of development, where rather than establishing a sense of self they’re essentially engaging in a catfish culture.

Negative body perception is rising in young people, where social media is making us feel unhappy about how we look. That’s why new online chat platforms like CMX are rising in influence due to their ability to reflect real-life interactions in a controlled setting.

Social media makes us unhappy with how we look, so filters are used to perpetuate the unrealistic expectations we embrace. Filters have even been known to encourage people to get cosmetic procedures to look more like their filters, something that underlines the dangerously profound impact filters can have on society.

Social Media: Friend or Foe? Part II

Movement Against Filters Influencers have been speaking up against filters and are opening new lines of thought. In fact, people are taking a stand by posting unedited images of themselves to expose the dangers of digital distortion. This is a great way to set an example for young girls, breaking down the misconception of the perfect image to bring awareness to how people can manipulate lighting and angles to create a flawless look.

Exposing the dangers of digital distortion is a progressive step in an age where there should be no shame about appearance. The subject has even received traction in political circles, where UK MP Luke Evans proposed a digitally altered body image bill where advertisers and publishers must display a logo when someone’s face or body has been digitally enhanced.

However, despite being a step in the right direction, slowing society from creating unrealistic beauty standards feels like an insurmountable task. What we can continue to strive for is better education of people to understand and appreciate that we’re all beautiful.