ScienceDaily: Selfies may drive plastic surgery by distorting facial features
""If young people are using selfies as their only guide, they may be coming to plastic surgeons to fix problems that don't exist except in the world of social media," said study leader Bardia Amirlak, M.D., Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery at UT Southwestern.
Dr. Amirlak explained that patients increasingly use photographs they've taken with a smartphone camera to discuss their goals with a plastic surgeon. There's a documented relationship, he added, between the increase in selfie photographs and an increase in requests for rhinoplasty -- or surgery to alter the appearance of the nose -- particularly among younger patients. However, because cameras can distort images, especially when photographs are taken at close range, selfies may not reflect an individual's true appearance.
To investigate how selfies might alter appearance, Dr. Amirlak and his colleagues worked with 30 volunteers: 23 women and seven men. The researchers took three photographs of each person -- one each from 12 inches and 18 inches away with a cellphone to simulate selfies taken with a bent or straight arm, and a third from 5 feet with a digital single-lens reflex camera, typically used in plastic surgery clinics. The three images were taken in the same sitting under standard lighting conditions.
The selfies showed significant distortions"
My Takeaways From This Article
We all have bad selfie days or often can scrutinize how one of our facial features look under the camera. According to this article this utilization of our phone as a mirror can distort our facial features and make them seem less desirable than it may really seem in reality. This has brought forth a surge in plastic surgery and desire to change one’s face due to that undesirable trait.
Social media has been shown to be one of the primary reasons that low self-esteem has been reported amongst the population with pictures of idealized lives and beauty standards being shared across the platform for everyone to see and compare. Because of this, rates of procedures to change face and body shape have been at an all time high.
To avoid the negative effects of social media, it is healthy to keep a healthy distance away from it, recognizing the conditions and mindset that comes with indulging in social media. Additionally, having the mindset that social media represents a highly idealized and edited platform is a way to understand that it's okay to be imperfect in reality.
Full article is here!
What do you think about social media and its positive and negative effects? What are some ways that you find satisfaction in being yourself?
#SocialMedia #SelfEsteem #Confidence
I miss seeing skin texture in pics.
That something I never thought I would miss about the past, it's both funny and weird
@Sn0r1ax
Definitely, it feels like everyone online these day just has plaster smooth skin which seems highly unrealistic from reality.
@sunnyWriting4806 Thanks for bringing this to our attention and sharing your views on it!
@hopezzy
Of course! I'm glad that it's being read and bringing awareness
I personally believe that it really is true, specially when we use filters for fun, that adds up to this concept too. I don’t know but it can be a little depressing when the filter suddenly disappears and all the “alterations” of the filters go away too. I believe that that exerts a negative impact on individuals.
@ChimmyChimx
I definitely agree, the filters online make us look good and ideal but once it's gone we often get disappointed from what we really look like.
I don't understand how people are comfortable using filters to modify their pictures on social media. Using a filter makes me feel guilty about being fake. I want people to see me just the way I'm both on social media and in real life. I think people need to embrace their imperfections and be comfortable showing the world exactly what they look like.
@naturalFriend1990
I agree with you, I personally feel very uncomfortable using editing or filters that change the way I look online. I feel like it sets you up for failure when you actually see people in-person and they see that you're not the way you look like online. It as a very inauthentic vibe to it.
@sunnyWriting4806 This is an amazing article and thank you so much for sharing it! It's much need during these times.
@comfortableNight4463
Thank you for that! I'm glad that people are reading and able to engage with the content.
@sunnyWriting4806
I think social media is positive for connecting and learning - I can gain meal ideas and feel less alone.
I think what social could do more of is regulating the consistency of videos and marketing images.
As I grow older it seems like the internet hasn’t become friendlier overall but more cruelly competitive.
Staying away from those sides of it and focusing on myself takes energy and grief at the loss.
I remember when the internet not long ago was still quite fresh and accessible with so much possibility!
So more places, people and things specifically designed to support the changes is very vital and important.
It’s good more people are making money too online; the internet could be more accessible and friendly.
The more vital, healthy, wealthy and happy people, places and things there are, the more we’re too.
This may sound a bit idealistic yet having a dream and goal is important to achieving great, positive growth.
@Dallady
I love your vision! Thank you for sharing it with us.
@Dallady
Totally! I feel as if internet can be such a good thing if people were able to use in a safe and friendly manner. It's already given many people jobs, opportunities and connected us to more information ever than before. But with pros there comes cons and it's important to be aware of them to reduce and minimize them when we use the internet.
@sunnyWriting4806 I think social media is great for meeting new people and sharing experiences and ideas, but social media really does give us a false sense of reality. People use filters and alter their bodies to fit this unachievable standard. I also think social media causes to us to believe that everyone's life is perfect when in reality, people only post the good parts of their lives.
I believe this form of thought is a bit dated.
Assuming everyone is using filters for one reason only doesn’t make much sense.
A lot of people just have fun with it and don’t connect it with trauma because they have worked through it already, or it’s not an issue they have.
Also, to say social media, or anything outside us ‘causes’ something, gives our power away to outside sources.
This is faulty because what causes anything is inside us, and therefore can only be changed and healed by us.
Blaming anything outside of ourselves, or getting angry about something may seem necessary in order to change, but negativity is not needed to do so.
We can create a positive and kind, joyful and supportive environment INSIDE US by accepting and approving and loving ourselves.
Putting the issue outside ourselves then just deflects from the true source.
At least that’s what I’m learning in my trauma and healing studies and research.
Hope it made sense! 😆
@fruityPond7887
@Dallady
Hi! Thanks for your reply! While I definitely see where you're coming from, I do think there are external forces that can affect our mental health. Our mental health is effected through society, personal feelings, family and friends, our environment, etc. It's hard to pinpoint one reason as to what may cause our mental health to decline! I agree that accepting ourselves is great to heal and improve our overall well-being! Thanks for sharing!
@fruityPond7887
I agree! There is a lot of people who portray a sense of reality that they personally want others to see and it can be quite damaging.
@sunnyWriting4806 Exactly! People always want someone else's body, or money, or home life, but they don't see the negative aspects. The grass isn't always greener!