Snapchat Dysmorphia: A Societal Beauty Pressure

“You have been criticizing yourself for years and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.” – Louise Hay

It’s a warm sunny day and you’ve never looked better: Your skin is spotless, your nose looks elegantly sharp , your lips look plump and your eyes have never shined so bright. You’ve managed to capture your best selfie and you are diligently waiting for the world to tap the “like”, the minute you click “Post.”

WAITTTT!

This might’ve paused your train of beauty thoughts! For that, I sincerely apologise! But did anyone realise the problem with this situation?

The issue is: Is this the real you?

Social Media – The Cause of the Rise in Snapchat Dysmorphia?

We may not realise it now, but all of this social media perfection is slowly seeping into our minds and attacking our self-confidence. More people are thinking: I want to look like her!

I usually receive an abundance of “Beautified” posts of stars, celebrities, influencers and more, from my close friends, who shriek and question themselves: “Why can’t I get this body?” “Look how hot she is!” People see how flawless these celebrities look on magazine covers but at the same time they also know how it requires a tonne of efforts to get them there. This has certainly not stopped them from desiring to be like the Beautified models. Why? Because these covers, filters and other social media tricks have drastically enhanced the societal beauty standards.

In a world full of Kylie Jenner’s, we’ve managed to leave behind our self-confidence and our ability to process the reality. According to 2017 data from the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS), there has been an 13% increase in the requests for the cosmetic procedures in order to look like their filtered perfect selves. This trend, what some people now call as the “Snapchat Dysmorphia” is real and getting more dangerous year on year.

This term was coined by the cosmetic doctor Tijion Esho, founder of the Esho clinics in London and Newcastle, who noticed a drastic change in a shocking trend. Where patients once brought pictures of celebrities with their ideal face structure, people were now pointing at pictures of their own filtered and photoshopped selves as a guide to show “I actually want such a transformation with large-doe eyes and pigmented cheeks,” which according to Esho “is unrealistic and unattainable.”

We spend hours, gawking at our Filtered selves, and hence, desire to look like them. However, this is “blurring the line of reality and fantasy” as it’s induced a higher level of insecurities in teens and women today! There have been days where we’ve enclosed ourselves into our confined space as we don’t look like our desired fantasy, or there have been days we’ve forgotten to detach ourselves from the outside world and their judgements, even after we return to our homely comforts. We are in a constant search for likes, comments and fake sympathetic reviews, in order to feel good.

This trend can thus play a huge factor in order to trigger the Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). BDD, according to the International OCD Foundations, is a mental illness that can lead affected individuals to have frequent thoughts about their appearance, seek constant reassurances from others, check their appearances in the mirror, avoid social situations to prevent others from seeing them and having the constant self-dilemma to hide their perceived flaws. While this may look like a minor cause of self-consciousness, BDD may aggravate emotional distress and distort your daily functioning.

Our brains are set to follow a social media established beauty standard where being fat is out of fashion or a pore less skin is the only way to look pretty. People with BDD, usually seek plastic surgeries in order to “fix” their imperfections. But who creates these standards of imperfections?

The Philosophy of Living – La Belle Figura

I’ve always faced a sense of insecurity every time I come across a pigmented or an exceptional picture on Instagram. Well, who doesn’t enjoy to look the best? That’s when I came across one of the best quotes till date.

“True beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul.” - Audrey Hepburn.

The quote justifies the Italian philosophy of living, “La Belle Figura” that literally translates to “The Beautiful Figure.” However, it signifies something much more than just a beautiful body; it’s a way of living, how you exist in the world and it goes well beyond image, visual beauty and presentation. It is also defined by behaviour, knowing how to properly interact or exhibit good manners. It talks about treating yourself better because you deserve it and not to compare yourselves with others. La Bella Figura is much more than physical attributes and I strive to desire a “Bella Figura” than a Perfect Figure.

Today, we need to stop living with the fictional beauty standards and overcome our biggest challenge – Insecurities and Comparisons.

How To Focus On Enjoying a Better Self-Image

If you feel like your social media presence is coercing you to be vigilant about your looks and imperfections, it’s time to alter the way you look at Social Media.

1. Fighting Stereotypes, One Post at a Time – To me social media is more than focussing on the constant, traditional looks of a feed. Social media is a place to open up about your life, unfiltered and raw. So, live up to your own expectations and not work for others judgements.

2. Be ‘Real’istic – Social Media could be hampering your Mind and Body, however, you’re not going to give up on it completely. Instead, you can think about why you opening the app and what you wish to accomplish from it.

3. Store up your Self-Worth – Don’t let others affect your mindset. Before listening to the voices around you, focus on your inner voices. Don’t let the judgements reach your mind. It might be difficult but practice can help you prosper.

4. Break-Up from the World that’s forcing you to Break – If you feel your social media feed is packed with people who make you feel bad about yourself, ask why you still follow them. Reinforce positivity in your accounts by seeing what makes your mind and body happy. Well, my feed is crowded with videos and pictures of succulent delicacies and vivacious puppies/dogs, and I don’t regret being on social media anymore.

To know more about the good and bad side of social media, read: https://www.mendingminds.co.in/post/social-media-the-good-bad-and-the-ugly