Manipulative Lenses
In 2015, Snapchat came up with filters that altered our natural features, these were completely free of cost but started keeping our self-esteem at stake. Today Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook Messenger have these filters with unrealistic beauty standards.
Filters were something we played around with, those bluebirds that circled around your head as if you were dizzy, pink hearts, faces being twisted alien, and on. These filters were funny, but the filters today, hide our true selves, by varying skin color, concealing scars, changing eye or face shape etc.
Sometimes these are pretty tints, and sometimes filters hide acne, it is way different than dog and cat ears. If you use filters, people will say you are using cover-up and being fake, and if you don’t, hatred will still be present. Instead of burying yourself in this hate, do what you want to.
Filters Unmask Beauty Standards
We have a love-hate relationship with filters. They have a significant impact, we use them mindlessly, and without noticing we alter our natural beauty. It makes you feel insecure and makes you think why natural human stuff like acne or facial hair is not okay, whereas, these are totally normal human things. Most filters are up to the so-called “beauty standards”. Filters hurt our body image and make us wish we were someone else, negatively affecting our feelings.
These standards are unutterable naturally. Most filters fit according to what society thinks beauty is at that time period which changes super frequently. It can be really damaging for the love towards yourself, or your self-confidence. If you feel filters are having a negative effect on your mental health it’s way better to discard them, it’s the easiest and the healthiest way to deal with these negative thoughts.
