According to a new study, more social media users have been undergoing or considering cosmetic procedures to change their physical features to have a daily filtered look.
(Photo: Pexels / Tommy Huang)
More People Want To Bring Their "Filtered Look" To Life
In the new "Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic On Patient Social Media Use and Acceptance of Cosmetic Procedures" study, researchers found a link between social media usage and aesthetic procedures. They found an association between more time spent on apps and photo editing software, dissatisfaction with appearance, and the desire to alter features.
Due to selfie culture, users ended up developing Snapchat dysmorphia and proactively sought out ways to copy their own filtered image versions.
As part of the study, researchers surveyed 175 individuals over 18 years of age from 2019 to 2021. Volunteers answered a questionnaire regarding their social media use, cosmetic procedure insight, and whether they would undergo such treatments.
The study notes that the number of participants who considered such procedures went from 64% to 84%, and the number of individuals who consulted with a surgeon also went up from 44% to 68%.
At the same time, around 78% of volunteers shared that undergoing such procedures would enhance their self-esteem post-COVID. This figure is 30% higher compared to pre-pandemic numbers.
The researchers also noted that frequent social media usage (Snapchat, Instagram) and photo editing applications (FaceTune, Lightroom) were linked with heightened body image dissatisfaction. Influencers, celebrities, and accounts that show cosmetic procedure results also influence users' desire to undergo cosmetic treatments.
The researchers note that though several factors could lead to this, social media use is likely to have increased the desire among some patients to undergo such aesthetic treatments. However, extensive photo manipulation and filter effects can often lead to looks that cannot be attained physically.
Such findings prompted the researchers to call physicians to discuss internet use with their patients.
Social Media Use and Body Image
Earlier studies have shown how social media affects teenagers. Such studies have suggested a link between poor body image and internet usage. In 2023, the surgeon general issued a warning regarding how these platforms could affect adolescents, as parents claimed that apps made their kids develop eating disorders or become suicidal.
The researchers from Boston University, who are behind the new study, think that the poor body image linked to selfie culture prompted a rise in aesthetic procedures during the pandemic when screen time went up tremendously.
Dr. Neelam Vashi, an associate dermatology professor and author of the study, explains that though cosmetic focus went up during the pandemic, there is still no current data on stress factors or a clear link that makes patients have a higher or lesser likelihood of engaging in cosmetic procedures.
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