If you’re online, reading this, I’m going to call it fair play to assume you’ve read some of the (numerous) studies showing that those who spend 2+ hours on Instagram, Facebook, and/or Twitter were found more likely to report increased symptoms of anxiety and depression. These stem, as you would expect, from FOMO and the body-image issues born of hours traipsing through the land of filters and Facetune. (In addition to the fact that human beings are not lamps and were not created to spend hours plugged in inside) I’m also going to assume that, like me, you scroll away regardless.
Recently, I’ve been noticing several articles cropping up about the further detriments of social media on your mental health, such as this CNN article discussing the fact that face filters mess with our perceptions so much, cosmetic doctors have begun referring to the uptick in people bringing in filtered and Facetuned images into their offices as “Snapchat Dysmorphia.”
However I’d like to think that we are, for the most part, aware of the fact that we will never look like a human Bambi, and as a tweet I read (then then scrolled past without the foresight to link it) the other day said, “saying social media isn’t real life is like saying water is wet.” So to play devil’s advocate, one could argue that we’ve always wanted to change our appearances, in fact San Francisco psychiatrist and psychotherapist Janice E. Cohen, MD is quick to point out that “every culture has standards and particular ways in which people change or enhance their appearance to feel and appear more attractive or maintain their status within their society or culture.” For example, women in the South African Ndebele tribes wear metal rings around their necks to elongate them.
It’s not the desire to alter our appearance that has changed, but the ability to do so; and the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery has said just that. Over the last decade, cosmetic surgery and treatments have become more accessible to a broader segment of the population, while the widespread evidence of celebrities having procedures has made facial plastic surgery more acceptable. So perhaps it’s not simply doe eyes and a flower crown driving the increase in cosmetic procedures, but the fact that the attitude surrounding them has shifted from “oh my god can you believe she had her boobs done” to please give me the name of your doctor immediately; while advancements in the field can leave us wondering if someone’s lips have just always been that full and we’ve never noticed before.
As my mother and boyfriend both frequently point out, I like to take things a step further than necessary, and since I’ve had some time on my hands this morning I decided to look at this desire to alter our appearances from a more “everyday” perspective and I’ve gotta ask: what’s the difference between a skin-smoothing filter and your favorite full-coverage concealer? Makeup is a part of many people’s daily routines, but I’ve rarely seen the connection between that and mental health scrutinized the way a social media gimmick has been.
A survey from the Renfrew Center Foundation surveyed 1,292 women aged 18 and up, and found that almost half of the women experienced negative feelings when they don’t wear makeup. A scant 3% of the women surveyed actually felt attractive without makeup. Penn State’s Science in Our World: Certainty and Controversy linked to an exploratory study on the influence of cosmetics on the confidence of college-aged women, where women were asked to change their makeup routines and document their feelings, and using Spielberger’s state-trait anxiety survey it was found that regardless of the situation, they were more anxious when wearing less makeup.
There are undeniable societal pressures to look certain ways in certain situations, and even though I’ve never been much of a makeup wearer, I did start putting a face on more regularly after moving to New York City because I wanted to fit into my new industry. I stopped after a few months, and transitioning back to a bare face even after such a short period of time was uncomfortable to say the least. (If you’re bored or looking for some procrastination, you can read more about that here)
It’s easy to begin associating your physical appearance with your overall confidence and self-esteem. Makeup allows you to cover up imperfections while highlighting certain points in your face- no shit it makes people feel more confident. However, many women won’t consider going anywhere, whether to the gym, the grocery store, or even the beach without at least a little bit of mascara- and that raises the question of whether we have begun to use makeup as a bandaid to patch over a need to be perceived a certain way.
When a person feels downright uncomfortable or insecure about leaving the house without having makeup on, there are deeper-rooted issues at play. Wearing makeup or posing beneath a “pretty” filter can significantly affect the way we view ourselves and in some instances the way others view us, but it’s critical to understand that no amount of digital chiseling, mascara, or bronzer is going to fill the void left by a lack of self-confidence.
Social media filters don’t cause “dysmorphia” any more than makeup does- these are the symptoms of our sense of inadequacy, not the cause. From how I see things, the issue here is that for some reason, we don’t believe we are enough without a flawless face. It’s easy to throw the blame around as to why we don’t feel at home in our bare cheeks, to place it on society and pop culture and facetune; but at the end of the day, confidence is an inside job.
So the next time you pay somebody a compliment, praise them for their vicious wit and warm smile- not the curve of their hips or pout of their lips. Learn to have a little more faith in what you can bring to the table if you leave your physical appearance in the kitchen, and trust that you will not starve.