From Beauty Mode to digital "surgery"

It is highly likely that at one time or another, with more or less enthusiasm, you will have taken a selfie. Photo enthusiasts will know that this kind of snapshot requires a certain amount of skill from the photographer/subject. A particular angle, the position of the head with respect to the rest of the body, the subtle pout to the lips, natural lighting and above all a carefully arranged background. Up until now, these have been the keys to presenting our best face to our audience, since front-facing cameras on mobile phones were originally designed for videoconferencing and little else.

Currently some of the new generation handsets have double front-facing cameras and sensors up to 20 megapixels, all designed to create a selfie worthy of a professional photographic studio. This tendency in mobile device manufacturing suggests there’s a growing demand for self-portraits and likewise, the need to show the world what we are up to, with our image in the foreground.

This breakthrough in hardware is significant, but advances in photos editing software have led to significant improvements in the quality of these self-portraits.

Social media and our obsession with the image we present to the world

In recent months a controversy has raged on social media concerning actors and actresses who have been severely criticised for showing their body as it really is. A debate has been raging for some time now as to our over-reliance on Photoshop and other photo-editing tools.

Social media can rapidly become superficial and trivial when certain “influencers” trivialise the concept of body image. They often help spread the belief that social success is linked to a perfect body and the ability to present a flawless image at any time of the day. Such representations can increase problems related to body image. (1) If we add to this the lack of self-control and issues related to self-image which are common in adolescents, we have the “perfect storm”.

Western culture and social pressure can lead us to pursue these standards of beauty at any price. People can be induced to conform to strict diets, which can be harmful to their health, to resort to cosmetic surgery, or the matter which concerns us here, to edit their photographs in order to lie about their appearance on social media.

A study by the University of Oviedo reveals that 40% of female teens believe themselves to be somewhat or very overweight. However, the objective BMI score of these same adolescents concludes that only 26% are actually obese or overweight (2). For adolescent boys, however, their self-image corresponds to the objective BMI score. These types of studies show the social pressure that exists, especially on women, to possess a perfect body.

Although not much scientific research has been conducted in this area, given the recent nature of the phenomenon, it seems reasonable to think that social media can aggravate problems with self-image. Both girls and boys want to have perfect bodies just like their idols, the so-called influencers, on social networks like Instagram.

Beauty Mode

For some years now, largely prompted by  demand from the Asian market, mobile phones have incorporated a surprising feature, the so-called ‘Beauty Mode’, something highly thought of by selfie enthusiasts. This feature uses software to enhance the “appearance” of the individual in the self-portrait in real time. Aspects such as wrinkles or minor skin blemishes are removed in an instant, thus giving the subject the ability to instantly rejuvenate themselves on the screen of their mobile phone.

Digital “surgery”

New mobile phone apps which allow us to change our appearance in photos are launched on an almost daily basis. After analysing some of those currently on offer, we have decided to have a look at two of the most downloaded. One has racked up 100 million downloads on Google Play, while the other has been downloaded over a million times. Impressive numbers, even when we compare them with well-established apps like Twitter with more than 500 million downloads.

The descriptions of these apps include such claims as:

• Become slimmer with just a few clicks
• Enlarge your breasts and make your butt bigger
• Make your face thinner
• Make your legs longer
• Make your muscles bigger
• Add artistic tattoos and text
• Add elegant filters to beautify your photographs

After seeing such claims, we were determined to confirm whether such features are real or not. We also wanted to see whether anyone use can use the apps and if the final results are worthwhile. We end by reflecting on the need to lie to others as to our true image.

Some examples

Let’s begin with the famous six-pack. It’s obvious that you can’t get well-defined abs in 5 minutes. It is usually the result of a lengthy process involving factors such as regular physical activity and a special diet. With such apps the desired results can be obtained in a few minutes.

The procedure is straightforward, requiring the user to open a photo within the app and apply a simple sticker before adjusting its size and position. An example is shown below.

The two apps we analysed are very easy to use. The result is good enough to fool anyone who doesn’t know us personally and who sees our “lie” on social media.

As we said at the start, these apps also allow us to: increase our pecs, add tattoos and make us appear slimmer. All in a few minutes with a few touches of the screen. Here are a few examples.

As you can see, these apps can be used to completely change our appearance.

Conclusions

In general, there is nothing wrong with wanting to have a look a certain way, for our own gratification and above all to be healthier. Sport can help us achieve this goal along with other techniques.

However, by way of reflection, we would like to say something about this desire to be something that you are not. The belief that everyone must have a perfect body and live in a house with a pool, travel to exotic countries and experience the most extreme adventures, may be exacerbated by the unquestioning consumption of social media such as Instagram.

Nowadays, many of us participate in social media. It is a space in which we create our digital identity. A space where we usually only reveal what we believe makes us stand out above the rest. We don’t typically reveal our “normality”.

Social media is a space in which to express ourselves, learn, think and ultimately, a space where we interact, all of which can influence our mental health. For this reason in the article we wished to underline the importance of being aware of both the advantages and disadvantages of the use of social media. We particularly wished to emphasize the questionable value of these apps. In some cases, they serve to perpetuate questionable standards of beauty from a health point of view.

Photos: Paula Caballero

Bibliography:

• Cramer, S., Inkster, B. (2017). #StatusOfMind – Social media and young people’s mental health and wellbeing. [online]. Royal Society for Public Health. In: https://www.rsph.org.uk/uploads/assets/uploaded/62be270a-a55f-4719-ad668c2ec7a74c2a.pdf
• Valverde, P. R., De Los Santos, F. R., & Rodríguez, C. M. (2010). Diferencias de sexo en imagen corporal, control de peso e Índice de Masa Corporal de los adolescentes españoles. Psicothema, 22(1), 77-83.