The damaging effects of Instagram filters on self-image

It’s difficult to ignore the lure of Instagram filters. They’re very moreish. Everyone wants to put the best version of themselves out into the world. The culture of using filters is especially heightened at the moment with people spending a lot more time at home and on social media. But at what point does the habit turn sinister? As consumers, we’re expected to refuse the bait. To simply say no and turn the other cheek. But this is extremely challenging when filtered images are all we’re exposed to. Research shows that a third of girls aged between 11 and 21 will not post a selfie online without using a filter or app to change their appearance.

Filters are now a part of everyday life. They encourage an attitude of self-deprecation. It has become far too easy to just switch on a filter and alter your face. Nearly all platforms have a beauty filter - TikTok’s beauty mode is switched on in most videos, even Zoom has a skin-smoothing filter. It’s impossible to escape them. The popularity and use of filters make people feel insecure about their own appearance. It promotes the idea that as long as we look good on the outside it doesn’t matter how we feel on the inside.

Dr Anne Kehoe, chartered member of the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI), believes that filters reflect a growing obsession with perfection.

“Some filters are great fun and when used appropriately I think that’s okay. But it’s human nature to become attached to the more beautiful image. Some of us become over attached to the more beautiful image. They [filters] don’t cause low self-esteem but they can contribute to difficulties like that.”

“We’re all spending more time than ever online and with regard to Instagram filters what previously would have been considered a nice picture can now be better somehow. People are also viewing a lot of very perfect content online. It can be hard for people to post an unfiltered picture if you’ve posted filtered for a long time because you attach yourself to the image of yourself. That’s a process and people generally have to gear themselves up to that. It’s a sad situation where you don’t feel you can put a picture of yourself up as you are.”

“So, for me when I see someone’s picture unfiltered, lots of us have a physical sense of relief. I would support all of the campaigns that represent people as they are and not just as the filters imply they are. They’re really important,” she said.

Instagram offers a short-lived adrenaline rush in the form of double taps. Each “like” reassures us that we look good. Instagram made the choice to remove the number of likes shown on each picture. This was a positive step forward as users were no longer obsessed with reaching a specific target. The mentality of gaining likes in a bid to prove a point disappeared.

Many of us still appreciate likes but filters now saturate the social media site. We have all dabbled in the world of filters. And we can all appreciate filter humour. Texas lawyer, Rod Ponton’s mishap with a cat filter on Zoom was a highlight of 2021 – “I’m not a cat.” But certain Instagram filters seriously alter a person’s physical appearance. One swipe for smooth, clear skin. Two swipes for round lips and chiselled cheekbones. Three swipes for big eyes and freckles. And hey presto, your face is completely transformed. But why are these specific facial features held with such high regard by society? Filters promote a false sense of reality. #NoFilter is worn like a badge of honour in the digital world. The notion of taking a stand against using filters is now admired and applauded.

Faye Dickinson (@fayedickinsonx) is the creator of the ‘Filter vs Reality’ filter on Instagram. Faye has amassed over 70,000 followers. ‘Filter vs Reality’ heavily filters one side of your face while leaving the other side completely untouched. Faye wanted to create the filter to show people that what they view on Instagram isn’t real.

“Using Instagram filters is like having a toxic relationship with someone, you cannot get out of it because they’re addictive and majorly misleading,” she tells me during our chat on Zoom.

“At the start of lockdown, I had loads of free time on my hands and seeing people posting perfect pictures was affecting my mental health. Nobody is perfect, and everyone has ‘bad photos’, we choose what and what not to share on social media to put out a good image of ourselves. You are beautiful the way you are, including the ‘bad’ photos because they're still you, and you're amazing,” she said.

Filters promote the idea that what we look like naturally isn’t good enough. But the danger emerges when people no longer want to show their face without one. They become so reliant on filters that they even consider cosmetic surgery. Just a little retouch here and there, and we’ll be happy.

Faye tells me that she decided to have her lip fillers dissolved in a bid to look more natural. “I decided to embrace my natural beauty and not have lips like everyone else.” Dr Kehoe also commented on the link to cosmetic surgery and the “heavy influence of filter expectation”.

“People need to see the unfiltered. It’s quite rare now to see an unfiltered photo. Plastic surgery rates are increasing because people become attached to how they look in a filtered image,” she remarked.

Irish Influencer Laura Harrington (@laura_harrington) tells me over the phone that it’s her “goal” to promote reality on her Instagram account. She encourages her followers to “take social media with a grain of salt”.

“Growing up we’re bombarded with images of an unrealistic expectation. It’s not maintainable. We all show our best self, I know my good angles but it all comes down to what we show.”

When asked for her opinion on Instagram filters, Laura told me that she “relied on them”.

“Talking on your story is tough to do at first. The ones that change your face shape are lethal, they’re the most damaging. As if your own nose isn’t good enough as it is. They’re targeted at people with insecurities.”

Laura posted a video on her account to show that Instagram isn’t real. She showed her skin with the beauty filter on versus it without. She demonstrated how important lighting is to capture a ‘good’ photo.

“I did a video showing my underarms, which are naturally dark, in different lighting. When did people start caring about underarms? Freckles are now in fashion but for years I hated them. These trends are so everchanging, why conform to that?”

Laura speaks openly about mental health on her platform. Laura reminds herself that she does not need to use a filter. “You’ll never be truly happy if you’re constantly comparing. It impacts people’s mental health. You almost feel compelled to do it, ‘I look a state I need this filter’. I refrain from doing that now, it’s damaging. I have normal skin and redness; I am not putting on a filter,” she said.

It is also now becoming increasingly hard to distinguish between filter-free and filtered images. Many celebrities have chosen to ditch filters in a bid to encourage others to do the same. Influencers must be transparent when they’re using filters so as to not mislead their followers. In light of the concerns, should brands and Influencers have a responsibility to promote products fairly and accurately? Too often a beauty product is distorted while being advertised on social media and this is very misleading for consumers. Applying filters while wearing a fake tanning product or while promoting a makeup product is very concerning.

Sasha Pallari (@sashalouisepallari) created the #FilterDrop campaign in July 2020. The model and makeup artist admits on her Instagram account, to her 34,000 followers, that she used to drastically edit her pictures. But she now raises awareness about the damaging effects of filters and the need for stricter guidelines around how beauty products are advertised online. The campaign began as a movement encouraging Instagram users to post filter-free selfies under the hashtag and has since gained the support of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The ASA declared that filters should not be used in paid posts or social media adverts. This is a big step forward in the right direction.

Dr Kehoe shared some very useful recommendations for dealing with the phenomenon of Instagram filters.

“If people are really triggering for you online, unfollow them or take breaks from them and their content. Unfollow people who don’t make you feel good. We should train ourselves to check in with ourselves. Like how do I feel after an hour of this? Which aspects really triggered me or stood out to me? You don’t have to unfollow forever but just unfollow and see how that impacts you. We’re afraid to miss something. It’s an anxious time in the world anyways so I can see why it happens,” she said.

Every single body positivity campaign is important. There needs to be a larger emphasis placed on representing real people. Real texture, real skin, scars, freckles, acne are all underappreciated. They make us who we are.