Edited photos on social media distort reality, mental health

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/04/2023 (914 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Social media is saturated with posts about people living their best and looking their best — at least that’s what they’d lead you to believe.

Today’s technology allows social-media users to mislead their followers unlike ever before. There are hundreds if not thousands of smartphone apps available for editing and retouching digital photos, allowing users to completely transform their appearances with the tap of a finger.

Many of the apps advertise their ability to depict more defined bone structure, curvier figures or enhanced facial symmetry, among other things. And without doing an official tally, it appears most of the apps use girls or women to demonstrate this.

These edited or retouched posts can have a negative impact on the mental health of social-media users who compare themselves to the posts, especially those who already struggle with body image. They convince users that these seemingly flawless photos or videos reflect reality, when in fact, they distort it.

According to Emotion Matters (a U.K.-based mental health organization), social media can have an impact on your body image and relationship with food, due to increased exposure to thin and toned body types and particular diets.

The website cites studies that show 88 per cent of women compare themselves to images found online, with more than half stating the comparison is “unfavourable.” Meanwhile, 65 per cent of men compare themselves to such images and 37 per cent say the comparison is “unfavourable.”

While edited or retouched photos and videos may not be inherently malicious, they promote an “ideal” body type — often thin, toned and unmarked — and encourage the objectification of bodies. And when people compare themselves to these posts, it can have damning consequences such as eating disorders, body dysmorphia, anxiety and depression.

What’s worse is that some people are profiting off this. Some social-media “influencers” — generally defined as a person who is paid to use their ability to influence potential buyers of a product or service thanks to their large online following — may use editing to exaggerate the results or benefits of the product or service in their advertisement. Others may use editing to augment their appearance in order to appeal to a wider audience.

A proposed law in France recognizes the potential impact of this. Under the law, a paid influencer could be stuck with a hefty fine, or even sent to jail, for failing to disclose the use of filters and other retouches on every photo or video they post online. This is just one of several requirements the legislation proposes.

The bill, the fate of which depends on a Senate vote in May, aims to crack down on the harmful effects of undisclosed altered photos rather than punish influencers for their work. It’s believed to be among the first pieces of legislation in the world designed to do this, as social media is still relatively new in the grand scheme of things. Norway, however, introduced a similar law in 2021, forcing influencers and advertisers to label their edited photos.

While jail time may seem a tad severe, depending on the offence, France’s proposed law attempts to combat the toxic aspects of social media. This is necessary as we move toward a world that is more and more immersed in the digital universe. It will become increasingly important to study the impacts — both negative and positive — of online platforms and introduce regulations where needed to protect social-media users’ mental health.

Canada should certainly “like” and “subscribe” to this idea.