Title : The illusion of “perfect skin”: Growing up in a generation of social media, filters, and photo editing
Abstract:
As if the transition into adolescence is not already challenging enough, growing up in a generation of filters, Photoshop, and Facetune force today’s youth to regard their body image, skin imperfections, and self-esteem in a whole new light. Carefully curated and edited photos of children, pre-teens, and adolescents create an unattainable illusion and unrealistic beauty standard of “perfect skin.” With constant access to cell phones and social media applications, children, pre-teens and adolescents alike are subject to criticism, dissatisfaction in their skin’s appearance, and mental health issues from the constant comparison to false standards of beauty. Research has indicated that young individuals who frequently use beauty filters are much more likely to later pursue cosmetic surgery and alter their features and skin color. Additionally, research shows the more time children, pre-teens, and adolescents spend on social media, the more apt they are to experience depression, anxiety, and disappointment in their own skin. Filters and photo editing software are widely used and create a skewed reality of what children, pre-teens, and adolescents feel they should look like to the rest of the world. The influence of social media is largely accompanied alongside a negative body image and psychosocial ramifications that coincide with striving towards the fantasy of perfection. This presentation highlights the latest research on the effects of social media on skin perception in children, pre-teens, and adolescents and offers suggestions and guidance for future research on how to reinforce positive body image and normalize skin imperfections in a world largely unaccepting of a natural, unfiltered look.
