Mental Health Through Social Media

Recently, concerns about the social media platform TikTok collecting private information has led to many countries legally challenging the company or banning the app entirely. However, an overlooked aspect of social media platforms is their impact on user mental health. While TikTok and Instagram offer age appropriate filters and modes that promise safe content, these filters are often ineffective. In 2020 a study based in the United Kingdom found that young social media users could not identify when an image had a filter applied to it and when it did not (Pescott, 2020). As time passes, filters will only become more undetectable. The rise in utilizing artificial intelligence to falsify content online further contributes to this issue. When users perceive altered content as true, they are prone to compare themselves to unrealistic beauty standards. 

Specifically, teenagers from ages 16 to 17 are most prone to this phenomenon and can experience body dissatisfaction as a result (Feijóo et al., 2023). Body dissatisfaction is when comparisons of oneself to a greater beauty standard results in feelings of inferiority and a desire to achieve the perceived ideal appearance. This can manifest in desires for different hair textures, skin types, body shape, facial features, body strength, and more. The wide range of impacts of body dissatisfaction make it a relevant issue for all social media users.

It would be unfeasible to expect social media platforms to ban all altered or enhanced content. Detection systems are often faulty and it would be difficult to block filtered content efficiently. The more suitable approach would be to encourage social media personalities to be open about their filter usage, so their viewers–especially young viewers–become more perceptive of the realities of online content.

Works Cited

Pescott, C. K. (2020). “I Wish I was Wearing a Filter Right Now”: An Exploration of Identity Formation and Subjectivity of 10- and 11-Year Olds’ Social Media Use. Social Media + Society, 6(4), 205630512096515. https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305120965155

Feijóo, B., Cambronero-Saiz, B., & Miguel-San-Emeterio, B. (2023). Body perception and frequency of exposure to advertising on social networks among adolescents. Profesional de La Informacion, 32(3). https://doi.org/10.3145/epi.2023.may.18