Are filters the new normal?

[Kangaroobrain]

Ok so I'm old (mid fifties) but I am feeling quite confused about the apparently ubiquitous use of beautifying selfie filters, in particular the extreme ones that change everything - face shape, eye shape/colour, lips, nose shape etc.

Obviously it can be a confidence boost to get a like or compliment, but surely that's a bit hollow if it's for an image in which you are barely recognisable? Is it just for the benefit of strangers? Anyone you meet in 'real life' would see what you normally look like.

Or is it just expected/accepted these days that people's online face might be different to their real one?

It's just weird, imagine wanting validation so much you put a fake face on your socials, I see it so much. It's ridiculous, so you get a like or a ' you look great' but deep down in your soul you know that's not a true likeness of yourself, they're complimenting some software. Very shallow and not satisfying.

Is it just for the benefit of strangers? Anyone you meet in 'real life' would see what you normally look like.

that's what I never understand. You have filtered selfies next to untouched photos taken by others. It brings attention to your worst features, and makes your natural face look worst when it was attractive before all the touch-ups.

You cultivate your own social media feed. I don’t know anyone who uses these so I rarely see them on mine (and I am aware of what they are)

I agree , is it low self esteem ?
However , I'd love to know the ones they use as even if just for my eyes only , wouldn't mind looking 15 years younger with great hair , eyes , lips and teeth !

I really dislike them and I hate that children in particular grow up with these things.

I'm also old (52) and find it strange. Mind you, I'm a complete luddite so wouldn't even know how to do it.

It’s especially useless when the police put out a ‘photograph ’ of a missing girl. They all look 👀, big lips, unlikely cheekbones, overloaded eyes… no resemblance to any living person, really.

I think it is becoming normal, some smart phone cameras have this on as default, so there are probably filtered photos of you you're not even aware of! Only a couple of years ago they were easily spotted but they're far more subtle and real looking now. I find it all quite odd!

My son's nursery did a 'meet the team' post recently. All the photos were so shopped that I still have no idea who's called what in real life

I don’t understand it either. I know a size 18/20, quite naturally pretty young woman. She filters every single picture to look like a size 8 Kardashian lookalike.

My daughter has a slightly less filtered photo - I asked her who it was. I genuinely didn’t recognise her.

Im not sure what they see in the mirror?

That's a good point, I hadn't thought of that.

And then there's the online dating thing - even if someone is not deliberately catfishing, it must come as quite a shock if your date looks nothing like their photo. What's the point of that? Surely the idea is you want to meet in real life, so they'll find out then what you really look like!

In my job I occasionally need to process temporary passes for clients in a secure area. To do this I need a photo of their passport and a selfie. A few months ago I was doing this for a group and the PA sent 5 through at once. Without names. There were 3 that were so heavily filtered I couldn’t work out which selfie went with which passport.

I also pointed out that the selfie gets printed on the pass and if they don’t actually look like that, there’ll be problems getting thought the checkpoint.

I find them disconcerting. One FB friend has a filter or blur or something on her phone camera all the time, so not only does she look at unrecognisable in her photos, her 3 kids do too. I always think what a shame it will be for her in the future when they’re grown up to have no photos of her kids are they really looked. I sometimes wonder if she genuinely believes that she looks like that.

It’s getting silly. I work with a really lovely woman who is around a size 18-20, 50 years old, lovely face - a fairly attractive woman who looks her age. But she filters her photos for social media so that she looks 25 years old and a size 12. I don’t understand it.

Visit a stately home or art gallery. Look at the many portraits there. How many of them do you imagine will show a true warts and all presentation of the subject and how many do you think will be the equivalent of the painter applying a modern-day filter? People have always wanted their “selfies” to make them look more dazzling than they really are, it’s broadly harmless. In real life it’s animation and expressions which name people look good, a still rarely captures the best likeness.

I think for some people they don't see it as fake because it's how they see themselves (rightly or wrongly). To them they are just filtering out the imperfections that the camera "exaggerates".

Example, when I look in the mirror I don't see dark circles/bags under my eyes. But it done photographs of me they look ridiculously obvious.

I would never and have never used filters to get rid of them, but I can see why some people do.

It's very sad though that they feel the need to do it.

I thinks there's filters and filters. Brightening up your complexion or losing a few wrinkles is one thing. Completely changing your face shape, eye shape/colour, nose shape etc - that's what I find odd. As pp said, you're then receiving compliments for a made-up person / computer software.

I agree, some of the worst ones I see look like cartoon characters

It is sad when people feel the need to do this to extremes. Sadly it's very common.

No, I cringe when I see profile pictures that include china-like skin and over contrasted eyelashes that dont blend with the rest of their face.

People think I use filters but I just have a very smooth 2D looking face and wear a flower garland in my hair.