EXPLAINED: Social media vs reality pics - The Real Truth

We might laugh at some of the audacious, over-edited images in this compilation. But the over-use of editing tools and apps is quite a serious matter...

85% of girls have applied filters or used an app to change the way they look in their photos - before they even turned 13. And 67% of girls have tried to change, or hide, at least one body part before posting a photo of themselves to social media.

That's according to the Dove Self-Esteem Project, which aims to promote confidence and body positivity among young girls.

"Although certain aspects of social media can promote connection and well-being, in recent years dozens of scientific studies have shown that social media can negatively influence body confidence, mood, and self-esteem,” warns body image expert, Professor Phillippa Diedrichs, who is a Research Psychologist at the Centre of Appearance Research at the University of West England.

Diedrichs explains that this happens when users spend significant amounts of time posting selfies, using editing apps and filters to alter their appearance, comparing themselves to others, and seeking validation through comments and likes.

"It’s therefore imperative that we help young people to develop skills to navigate social media in a healthy and productive way,” the expert said.

The age of Facetuning has brought us something known as Snapchat dysmorphia. If you've never heard of it, it's a medical phenomenon whereby social media filters have led to a rising number of women going to plastic surgeons asking to look like the filtered versions of themselves.

“Previously, patients would come into clinics with pictures of celebrities or models they admired and wanted to look like,” explains Dr Esho, cosmetic doctor at The Esho Clinic. “But with the introduction of social platforms and filters over the last five years, more and more patients come into clinics with filtered versions of themselves as the goal they want to achieve."

A British photographer called Rankin once explored the harmful effects of retouching apps in his photo series titled “Selfie Harm.” 

Rankin photographed a group of teenagers and then asked them to edit their own portrait until it was “social media ready.” What he discovered was that many of the participants seemed to magnify their eyes and overplump their lips.

 “It’s so simple, almost like creating a cartoon character of yourself,” Rankin said. “These filters are something very new and, in my opinion, a lot more dangerous. What’s even scarier is that there’s little or no debate happening around this. Something like Photoshop, which is a much more complex and inaccessible program, is actually part of a huge social ethical discussion.”

"What’s interesting is that the individuals didn’t necessarily like or prefer the edited versions of themselves, but simply felt the retouched image would garner more likes on their social media platforms," notes Fashionroundtable.co.uk.

During the project, none of the girls left their photos unedited. But the majority said they preferred the untouched images.

“Today’s generation can’t escape ‘the Truman effect’ because from birth they are born into an age of social platforms where their feelings of self-worth can be based purely on the number of likes and followers that they have, which is linked to how good they look or how great these images are," warns cosmetic surgeon Dr. Esho.

“It’s time to acknowledge the damaging effects that social media has on people’s self-image,” adds Rankin on Instagram. “It’s just another reason why we are living in a world of FOMO, sadness, increased anxiety, and Snapchat dysmorphia.”