How Instagram and Snapchat Filters Are Beginning to Alter Our Perception of Self

Image Courtesy: The New Yorker

Like most, if not all, of you, I'm guilty of taking a selfie every so often. My routine usually follows: I finish doing my makeup at my desk, then I go onto Snapchat and look for filters to combat my horrible apartment lighting. This always proves to be a hassle; filters either make me look too orange or give me freckles and obnoxiously bright, blue eyes. Thinking I've finally found a filter, (almost always ambiguously named something along the lines of “Coffee” or “Malibu”) I tap on it and instantly notice something is a little off. My face looks slightly different, albeit probably not noticeable to anyone else. I’ve come to notice when looking for filters that are supposed to alter the saturation and color of my surroundings also tend to alter my facial features, despite not advertising to do so. These sneaky filters subtly make my nose thinner, my lips bigger, my chin sharper. 

Image Courtesy: deMilked

These facial attributes have become the cyborg-ian, cookie-cutter “Instagram face”. Many Instagram influencers unnaturally possess skinny, upturned noses, strong jawlines, big, pouty lips, clear, pore-less skin, high cheekbones, and slanted, cat-like eyes. Such filters on Snapchat and Instagram attempt to replicate these facial features to a T. In the past, we used to only be able to compare ourselves to the “perfect” celebrities or models on magazines, television, and other various forms of media. Now, with the constant influx of edited and filtered Instagram posts and Snapchat stories, we compare ourselves to not only our airbrushed and enhanced peers, but users from all over the world. Additionally, the creation and usage of facial filters allow us to compare ourselves to digitally “enhanced” or “idealized” versions of ourselves. We no longer have to wonder what we would look like with perhaps a little filler or augmentation; we now know and are constantly reminded of what could be with just a little work.

Image Courtesy: Flymedi

Digitally enhanced versions of our “ideal” self can be a source of unhealthy obsession and facial dysmorphia in users. The growing popularity of facial filters and photo editing apps has also sparked a surge in cosmetic surgeries. According to research, lip augmentation procedures have increased 71% percent since the year 2000. According to plastic surgeons, one of the most common reasons for going under the knife is to look better in selfies. Multiple friends of mine have mentioned that if they were to get plastic surgery or augmentations, they would want lip fillers, a cat-eye facelift, and to remove fat from their jawline to make it slimmer and sharper. It’s no coincidence that these desires mirror the current Instagram beauty ideal and filters we, as users, have access to on the daily. It certainly doesn't help that the world has become increasingly digital since the pandemic. Instagram and Snapchat both reached record levels of engagement during the unprecedented time. Even applications like Zoom have implemented features that allow you to wear virtual makeup and smooth your skin. 

In a time where digitally altering your appearance in exchange for positive reinforcement such as likes, views, and comments has become the norm, it's important to remember that beauty ideals and standards are fleeting. What isn’t fleeting, however, is the individuality and unique beauty of every human being. The filters and enhancements you see in photos every day aren’t real, but your natural beauty is as real as it gets. 

Strike Out,

Writer: Jayna O

Editors: Breanna Tang & Lexi Fernandez

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