Selfie Filters and Beauty Standards: Latest Photo-Editing Techniques Are Affecting Body Image, Triggering Body Dysmorphic Disorder

These days access to photo-editing techniques has become so easy that we have the ability to make ourselves look perfects at our fingertips. Right from 'flawless' skin to a full makeup look, you can simply edit your picture in any way you want to. But are these filters affecting more than just your Instagram? Yes, it is. It is affecting your mental health and of others as well. It is also creating a fake beauty standard that is wrecking the mental health further.

Social media is obsessed with the idea of physical 'perfection' that is fueled by these photo-editing technologies. This not o directly impacts

With advancements in photo-editing technology through applications like Snapchat and Instagram, the level of physical ‘perfection’ is the obsession with social media. This is making people's self-esteem go for a toss and cause body dysmorphic disorder in many, studies suggest. Especially with the advent of easy picture sharing social media platforms like Snapchat and Instagram the situation is only getting worse.

What is Body Dysmorphic Disorder?

This mental disorder has been disguised as character traits in various people since centuries and it only recently that it has been seen by practitioners all over the world. The condition has been described in a study, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition,’ as 'A preoccupation

with an imagined defect in appearances, such as thinning hair, a large nose, or small genitals. The affected individual’s concern about the symptom is markedly excessive, and this excessive preoccupation results in significant emotional distress and an impairment in function in important areas such as school, work, and home.'

The study further says that this condition has been ignored a lot since very recently. The study says, 'The condition often has been neglected not only by dermatologists and plastic surgeons but also by psychiatrists. Patients with this disorder often remain socially isolated and without medical help. It is known that a significant proportion of patients seeing plastic surgeons

on account of anxieties about the shape and size of breasts are dysmorphophobic, as are a significant proportion of individuals seeking

a surgical solution to the size or shape of their nose'

Excessive usage of filters and photo editing techniques only gives rise to Body Dysmorphic Disorder. Usually, experts suggest psychological interventions in such cases. If you feel that you can relate to BDD and feel that you probably are perceiving 'flaws' in your body and appearance when they are not or you know someone like that you might want to see a psychologist asap.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 04, 2018 03:48 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).