“Exciting”, “exhilarating”, but “destructive” beauty filters, especially for teenagers under construction. Philosopher, psychoanalyst and research director, Elsa Godart, author of “I selfie, therefore I am” (Ed. Albin Michel, 224 p., 16.90 euros)warns about the consequences of using beauty filters on Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.
What do you think the massive use of these beauty filters on the networks reveals?
ELSA GOODART. We are witnessing the creation of avatars, i.e. self-created subjects that correspond to what users would like to be… but not what they are. Imagine a world where you couldn’t meet yourself! Well, social networks such as Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat participate in the design of a universe in which everything is constantly redesigned and to your liking. This is “me” marketing taken to the extreme. On the web, the “digital self” becomes one’s brand. Instead of getting a real look, users can create it. And also come up with clothes!
Is there a risk in using these filters?
We must resist the filters and dictates of influencers, those people considered by some of the idols but who trade with their image. Internet users who daily use these filters to look like them tell themselves, just like their stars, that they cannot be loved as they are. So they put on a mask. Beware of disappointment and the vicious circle. It can be very destructive in people who want to be admired. Even if they do not trigger any particular clinical symptoms, their use can accentuate the problem of narcissistic deficit.
In which particular audience is the risk most serious?
For young people it is very exciting, exhilarating and dangerous! This virtual photo frame is very alluring for those who want to look like famous people using these beauty filters. However, these adolescents, who are going through a period of construction, are physically structured in relation to fantasized characteristics … and which make anyone conform to the images found in magazines. Many cling to these images as a lifeline.
Up to the long-term temptation to undergo cosmetic surgery so that fiction becomes reality?
Yes, people come into the studio with ultra-filtered photos of people and then say to the surgeon, “I want to look like this. Surgeons bear a great responsibility in the face of these requests. Watch out for scams too!
