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-> mental health impact of beauty filters, spending time on social media and the use of filters alters our expectations and become dissatisfied with our own features

-> Report from wall street journal has revealed that 32% of teen girls said they feel bad about their bodies, with instagram making them feel worst, with some reporting suicidal thoughts

-> teenagers, men and women have all discussed the idea of getting plastic surgery to look more like the filtered versions of themselves (social media significantly influences plastic surgery trends)

-> there has been a direct link beteen social media filters and low self esteem, self confidence and higher cases of body dysmorphia

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The Mental Health Impacts of Beauty Filters on Social Media Shouldn’t Be Ignored — Here’s Why

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Experts say it plays a subconscious role on self-esteem and confidence.

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Social media and the use of filters are changing the way we see ourselves.

More and more people now are using filters to 'beautify' themselves changing their appearance. This could be from smoothing there skin to making parts of there bodies smaller.

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The most widespread use of augmented reality isn't in gaming: it's the face filters on social media. The result? A mass experiment on girls and young women.

Veronica started using filters to edit pictures of herself on social media when she was 14 years old. She remembers everyone in her middle school being excited by the technology when it became available, and they had fun playing with it. "It was kind of a joke," she says. "People weren't trying to look good when they used the filters."

But her younger sister, Sophia, who was a fifth grader at the time, disagrees. "I definitely was-me and my friends definitely were," she says. "Twelve-year-old girls having access to something that makes you not look like you're 12? Like, that's the coolest thing ever. You feel so pretty."

When augmented-reality face filters first appeared on social media, they were a gimmick. They allowed users to play a kind of virtual dress-up: change your face to look like an animal, or suddenly grow a mustache, for example.

Today, though, more and more young people-and especially teenage girls-are using filters that "beautify" their appearance and promise to deliver model-esque looks by sharpening, shrinking, enhancing, and recoloring their faces and bodies. Veronica and Sophia are both avid users of Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok, where these filters are popular with millions of people.

"The beauty filter sort of changes certain things about your appearance and can fix certain parts of you."

Through swipes and clicks, the array of face filters enable them to adjust their own image, and even sift through different identities, with new ease and flexibility.

Veronica, now 19, scrolls back to check pictures from the time on her iPhone. "Wait," she says, stopping on one. "Oh yeah ... I was definitely trying to look good." She shows me a picture of a glammed-up version of herself. She looks seductive. Her eyes are wide, lips slightly parted, and her skin looks tanned and airbrushed. "That's me when I'm 14," Veronica says. She seems distressed by the picture. Still, she says, she's using filters almost every day.

"When I'm going to use a face filter, it's because there are certain things that I want to look different," she explains. "So if I'm not wearing makeup or if I think I don't necessarily look my best, the beauty filter sort of changes certain things about your appearance and can fix certain parts of you."

The face filters that have become commonplace across social media are perhaps the most widespread use of augmented reality. Researchers don't yet understand the impact that sustained use of augmented reality may have, but they do know there are real risks-and with face filters, young girls are the ones taking that risk. They are subjects in an experiment that will show how the technology changes the way we form our identities, represent ourselves, and relate to others. And it's all happening without much oversight.

The rise of selfie culture

Beauty filters are essentially automated photo editing tools that use artificial intelligence and computer vision to detect facial features and change them.

They use computer vision to interpret the things the camera sees, and tweak them according to rules set by the filters' creator. A computer detects a face and then overlays an invisible facial template consisting of dozens of dots, creating a sort of topographic mesh. Once that has been built, a universe of fantastical graphics can be attached to the mesh. The result can be anything from changing eye colors to planting devil horns on a person's head.

These real-time video filters are a recent advance, but beauty filters more broadly are an extension of the decades-old selfie phenomenon. The movement is rooted in Japanese "kawaii" culture, which obsesses over (typically girly) cuteness, and it developed when purikura-photo booths that allowed customers to decorate self-portraits-became staples in Japanese video arcades in the mid-1990s. In May of 1999, Japanese electronics manufacturer Kyocera released the first mobile phone with a front-facing camera, and selfies started to break out to the mainstream.

The rise of MySpace and Facebook internationalized selfies in the early 2000s, and the launch of Snapchat in 2011 marked the beginning of the iteration that we see today. The app offered quick messaging through pictures, and the selfie was an ideal medium for visually communicating one's reactions, feelings, and moods. In 2013, Oxford Dictionaries selected "selfie" as the word of the year, and by 2015 Snapchat had acquired the Ukrainian company Looksery and released the "Lenses" feature, much to the delight of Veronica's middle school clique.

Filters are now common across social media, though they take different forms. Instagram bundles beauty filters with its other augmented-reality facial filters, like those that add a dog's ears and tongue to a person's face. Snapchat offers a gallery of filters where users can swipe through beauty-enhancing effects on their selfie camera. TikTok's beauty filter, meanwhile, is part of a setting called "Enhance," where users can enable a standard beautification on any subject.

And they are incredibly popular. Facebook and Instagram alone claim that over 600 million people have used at least one of the AR effects associated with the company's products: a spokesperson said that beauty filters are a "popular category" of effects but would not elaborate further. Today, according to Bloomberg, almost a fifth of Facebook's employees-about 10,000 people- are working on AR or VR products, and Mark Zuckerberg recently told The Information, "I think it really makes sense for us to invest deeply to help shape what I think is going to be the next major computing platform, this combination of augmented and virtual reality."

They are subjects in an experiment that will show how the technology changes the way we form our identities, represent ourselves, and relate to others.

Snapchat boasts its own stunning numbers. A spokesperson said that "200 million daily active users play with or view Lenses every day to transform the way they look, augment the world around them, play games, and learn about the world," adding that more than 90% of young people in the US, France, and the UK use the company's AR products.

Another measure of popularity might be how many filters exist. The majority of filters on Facebook's various products are created by third-party users, and in the first year its tools were available, more than 400,000 creators released a total of over 1.2 million effects. By September 2020, more than 150 creator accounts had each passed the milestone of 1 billion views.

Face filters on social media might seem technologically unimpressive compared with some other uses of AR, but Jeremy Bailenson, the founding director of Stanford University's Virtual Human Interaction Lab, says the real-time puppy filters are actually quite a technological feat.

"It's hard to do that technically," he says. But thanks to neural networks, AI can now help achieve the kind of data processing required for real-time video altering. And the way it's taken off in recent years surprises even longtime researchers like him.

A "beautiful" community

Many people enjoy filters and lenses-both as users and creators. Caroline Rocha, a makeup artist and photographer, says that social media filters-and Instagram's in particular-provided her a lifeline at a crucial moment. In 2018, she was at a personal low point: someone very dear to her had died, and then she suffered a stroke that resulted in temporary paralysis of her leg and permanent paralysis of her hand. Things got so overwhelming that she attempted suicide.

"I just wanted to come out of my reality," she says. "My reality was dark. It was deep. I passed my days inside four walls." Filters felt like a breakthrough. They gave her "the chance to travel ... to experiment, to try on makeup, to try a piece of jewelry," she says. "It opened a big window for me."

She had studied art history in school, and Instagram filters felt like a deeply human and artistic world, full of opportunity and connection. She became friends with AR creators whose aesthetic spoke to her. Through that, she became a "filters influencer," though she says she hates that term: she would try different filters and critique them for a growing audience of followers. Eventually, she started creating filters herself.

Rocha became connected with creators like Marc Wakefield, an artist and AR designer who specializes in dark, fantastical effects. (One of his hits is " Hole in the Head," in which a see-through hole replaces the subject's face.) The community was "so close and so helpful," she says-"beautiful," even. She had no technical expertise when she started creating AR effects, and spent hours poring over help documents with help from others.

Her first viral filter was called "Alive": it overlaid the electrical pulse of a heartbeat right across the face of its subject. After a moment, the line distorts into a heart that encircles one eye before flashes of colored light illuminate the screen. Rocha says Alive was an homage to her own story of mental illness.

Rocha's experience is not unusual: many people enjoy the playfulness of the technology. Facebook describes AR effects as a way to "make any moment more fun to share," while Snapchat says the goal of Lens "is to provide fun and playful creative effects that allow our community to express themselves freely."

But Rocha has changed her view. This artistic conception of filters now seems idealistic to her, not least because it is not necessarily representative of how the majority of people use filters. Artistic or funny filters may be popular, but they are dwarfed by beauty filters.

Facebook and Snapchat were both hesitant to provide any data breaking out filters that are solely appearance enhancing from those that are more novel. Facebook's creators categorize their own filters into 17 ambiguous buckets, whose names include "Appearance," "Selfies," "Moods," and "Camera styles." "Appearance" is in the top 10 most popular categories, said the Facebook spokesperson, but refused to elaborate further.

Rocha says she sees many women on social media using filters nonstop. "They refuse to be seen without these filters, because in their mind they think that they look like that," she says. "It became, for me, a bit sick."

In fact, she struggled with it herself. "I've always fought against this kind of fakeness," she says, but "I'd say, 'Okay, I have to change my picture. I have to make my nose thinner and give myself a big lip because I feel ugly.' And I was like, 'Whoa, Whoa, no, I'm not like that. I want to feel beautiful without changing these things.'"

She says the beauty-obsessed culture of AR filters has become increasingly disappointing: "It has changed because, in my point of view ... the new generation of creators just want money and fame."

"There is a bad mood in the community," she says. "It's all about fame and number of followers, and I think it's sad, because we are making art, and it's about our emotions ... It's very sad what's happening right now."

"I don't think it's just filtering your actual image. It's filtering your whole life."

Veronica, the teenager, sees the same patterns. "If someone is completely portraying themselves in one filter and has only posted photos in a filter meeting all of the beauty standards and gaining followers and making money off of the beauty standard that we have right now-I don't know if that's, like, genius or if that's terrible," she says.

Claire Pescott is a researcher at the University of South Wales who studies the behavior of preteens on social media. In focus groups, she's observed a gender difference when it comes to filters. "All of the boys said, 'These are really fun. I like to put on these funny ears, I like to share them with my friends and we have a laugh,'" she says. Young girls, however, see AR filters primarily as a tool for beautification: "[The girls] were all saying things like, 'I put this filter on because I have flawless skin. It takes away my scars and spots.' And these were children of 10 and 11."

"I don't think it's just filtering your actual image," she says. "It's filtering your whole life."

And this change is only just beginning. AR filters on social media are part of a rapidly growing suite of automated digital beauty technologies. The app Facetune has been downloaded over 60 million times and exists simply for easy video and photo editing. Presets are a recent phenomenon in which creators-and established influencers in particular-create and sell custom filters in Adobe Lightroom. Even Zoom has a "touch up my appearance" feature that gives the appearance of smoother skin in video calls. M any have heralded the option to buff your appearance as a low-effort savior during the pandemic.

Reality distortion field

During our conversations, I asked Veronica to define what an "Instagram Face" looks like. She replied quickly and confidently: "Small nose, big eyes, clear skin, big lips."

This aesthetic relies on categories of AR effects called "deformation" and "face distortion." As opposed to the Zoom-like touch-up that simply blends skin tones or saturates eye color, distortion effects allow creators to easily change the shape and size of certain facial features, creating things like a "bigger lip," a "lifted eyebrow," or a "narrower jaw," according to Rocha.

Teenagers Sophia and Veronica say they prefer distortion filters. One of Sophia's favorites makes her look like singer and influencer Madison Beer. "It has these massive lashes that make my eyes look beautiful. My lips triple in size and my nose is tinier," she says. But she's cautious: "Nobody looks like that unless you are Madison Beer or someone who has a really, really good nose job."

Veronica's "ideal" filter, meanwhile, is a distortion filter called Naomi Beauty on Snapchat, which she says all her friends use. "It is one of the top filters for two reasons," she says. "It clears your skin and it makes your eyes huge."

There are thousands of distortion filters available on major social platforms, with names like La Belle, Natural Beauty, and Boss Babe. Even the goofy Big Mouth on Snapchat, one of social media's most popular filters, is made with distortion effects.

In October 2019, Facebook banned distortion effects because of "public debate about potential negative impact." Awareness of body dysmorphia was rising, and a filter called FixMe, which allowed users to mark up their faces as a cosmetic surgeon might, had sparked a surge of criticism for encouraging plastic surgery. But in August 2020, the effects were re-released with a new policy banning filters that explicitly promoted surgery. Effects that resize facial features, however, are still allowed. (When asked about the decision, a spokesperson directed me to Facebook's press release from that time.)

When the effects were re-released, Rocha decided to take a stand and began posting condemnations of body shaming online. She committed to stop using deformation effects herself unless they are clearly humorous or dramatic rather than beautifying and says she didn't want to "be responsible" for the harmful effects some filters were having on women: some, she says, have looked into getting plastic surgery that makes them look like their filtered self.

"I wish I was wearing a filter right now"

Krista Crotty is a clinical education specialist at the Emily Program, a leading center on eating disorders and mental health based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Much of her job over the past five years has focused on educating patients about how to consume media in a healthier way. She says that when patients present themselves differently online and in person, she sees an increase in anxiety. "People are putting up information about themselves-whether it's size, shape, weight, whatever-that isn't anything like what they actually look like," she says. "In between that authentic self and digital self lives a lot of anxiety, because it's not who you really are. You don't look like the photos that have been filtered."

"There's just somewhat of a validation when you're meeting that standard, even if it's only for a picture."

For young people, who are still working out who they are, navigating between a digital and authentic self can be particularly complicated, and it's not clear what the long-term consequences will be.

"Identity online is kind of like an artifact, almost," says Claire Pescott, the researcher from the University of South Wales. "It's a kind of projected image of yourself."

Pescott's observations of children have led her to conclude that filters can have a positive impact on them. "They can kind of try out different personas," she explains. "They have these 'of the moment' identities that they could change, and they can evolve with different groups."

A screenshot from the Instagram Effects gallery. These are some of the top filters in the "selfies" category.

But she doubts that all young people are able to understand how filters affect their sense of self. And she's concerned about the way social media platforms grant immediate validation and feedback in the form of likes and comments. Young girls, she says, have particular difficulty differentiating between filtered photos and ordinary ones.

Pescott's research also revealed that while children are now often taught about online behavior, they receive "very little education" about filters. Their safety training "was linked to overt physical dangers of social media, not the emotional, more nuanced side of social media," she says, "which I think is more dangerous."

Bailenson expects that we can learn about some of these emotional unknowns from established VR research. In virtual environments, people's behavior changes with the physical characteristics of their avatar, a phenomenon called the Proteus effect. Bailenson found, for example, that people who had taller avatars were more likely to behave confidently than those with shorter avatars. "We know that visual representations of the self, when used in a meaningful way during social interactions, do change our attitudes and behaviors," he says.

But sometimes those actions can play on stereotypes. A well-known study from 1988 found that athletes who wore black uniforms were more aggressive and violent while playing sports than those wearing white uniforms. And this translates to the digital world: one recent study showed that video game players who used avatars of the opposite sex actually behaved in a way that was gender stereotypical.

Bailenson says we should expect to see similar behavior on social media as people adopt masks based on filtered versions of their own faces, rather than entirely different characters. "The world of filtered video, in my opinion-and we haven't tested this yet-is going to behave very similarly to the world of filtered avatars," he says.

Selfie regulation

Considering the power and pervasiveness of filters, there is very little hard research about their impact-and even fewer guardrails around their use.

I asked Bailenson, who is the father of two young girls, how he thinks about his daughters' use of AR filters. "It's a real tough one," he says, "because it goes against everything that we're taught in all of our basic cartoons, which is 'Be yourself.'"

Bailenson also says that playful use is different from real-time, constant augmentation of ourselves, and understanding what these different contexts mean for kids is important.

"Even though we know it's not real... We still have that aspiration to look that way."

What few regulations and restrictions there are on filter use rely on companies to police themselves. Facebook's filters, for example, have to go through an approval process that, according to the spokesperson, uses "a combination of human and automated systems to review effects as they are submitted for publishing." They are reviewed for certain issues, such as hate speech or nudity, and users are also able to report filters, which then get manually reviewed.

The company says it consults regularly with expert groups, such as the National Eating Disorders Association and the JED Foundation, a mental-health nonprofit.

"We know people may feel pressure to look a certain way on social media, and we're taking steps to address this across Instagram and Facebook," said a statement from Instagram. "We know effects can play a role, so we ban ones that clearly promote eating disorders or that encourage potentially dangerous cosmetic surgery procedures... And we're working on more products to help reduce the pressure people may feel on our platforms, like the option to hide like counts."

Facebook and Snapchat also label filtered photos to show that they've been transformed-but it's easy to get around the labels by simply applying the edits outside of the apps, or by downloading and reuploading a filtered photo.

Labeling might be important, but Pescott says she doesn't think it will dramatically improve an unhealthy beauty culture online.

"I don't know whether it would make a huge amount of difference, because I think it's the fact we're seeing it, even though we know it's not real. We still have that aspiration to look that way," she says. Instead, she believes that the images children are exposed to should be more diverse, more authentic, and less filtered.

There's another concern, too, especially since the majority of users are very young: the amount of biometric data that TikTok, Snapchat and Facebook have collected through these filters. Though both Facebook and Snapchat say they do not use filter technology to collect personally identifiable data, a review of their privacy policies shows that they do indeed have the right to store data from the photographs and videos on the platforms. Snapchat's policy says that snaps and chats are deleted from its servers once the message is opened or expires, but stories are stored longer. Instagram stores photo and video data as long as it wants or until the account is deleted; Instagram also collects data on what users see through its camera.

Meanwhile, these companies continue to concentrate on AR. In a speech made to investors in February 2021, Snapchat co-founder Evan Spiegel said "our camera is already capable of extraordinary things. But it is augmented reality that's driving our future", and the company is "doubling down" on augmented reality in 2021, calling the technology "a utility".

And while both Facebook and Snapchat say that the facial detection systems behind filters don't connect back to the identity of users, it's worth remembering that Facebook's smart photo tagging feature-which looks at your pictures and tries to identify people who might be in them-was one of the earliest large-scale commercial uses of facial recognition. And TikTok recently settled for $92 million in a lawsuit that alleged the company was misusing facial recognition for ad targeting. A spokesperson from Snapchat said "Snap's Lens product does not collect any identifiable information about a user and we can't use it to tie back to, or identify, individuals."

And Facebook in particular sees facial recognition as part of it's AR strategy. In a January 2021 blog post titled "No Looking Back," Andrew Bosworth, the head of Facebook Reality Labs, wrote: "It's early days, but we're intent on giving creators more to do in AR and with greater capabilities." The company's planned release of AR glasses is highly anticipated, and it has already teased the possible use of facial recognition as part of the product.

In light of all the effort it takes to navigate this complex world, Sophia and Veronica say they just wish they were better educated about beauty filters. Besides their parents, no one ever helped them make sense of it all. "You shouldn't have to get a specific college degree to figure out that something could be unhealthy for you," Veronica says.

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Beauty filters are changing the way young girls see themselves

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The most widespread use of augmented reality isn't in gaming: it's the face filters on social media. The result? A mass experiment on girls and young women.

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Government are cracking down on unregulated cosmetic surgery 

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Government are cracking down on unregulated cosmetic surgery 

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This law is being brought into place to stop surgery being performed to an unacceptable level, this is because it is currently being carried out and 'botched' surgery is taking place.

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Government to crack down on unregulated cosmetic procedures

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The government announces its intention to introduce a licensing regime for non-surgical cosmetic procedures such as Botox and fillers.

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'Instagram face' to 'snapchat dysmorphia' 

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'Instagram face' to 'snapchat dysmorphia' 

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(Haines, 2021)

The pandemic has changed the way we live our lives this is because we are now using the internet more to communicate with each other, which ultimately means we see ourselves more using zoom.

Is the use of technology making us more insecure about ourselves?

Everyone now has access to their own virtual plastic surgery, allowing us to try filters which shows us what we would look like with a smaller nose.

The rise of face filters and editing apps has correlated with a surge in cosmetic surgery. There has been a link between social media and self-esteem.

55% of plastic surgery in 2018 reported that patients were motivated by the desire to look better, the use of face fitters also shape the kinds of alterations they desire and show us what we can change about ourselves.

Face filters use algorithms to reinforce a standard of beauty which is narrow. Dr Egger, ‘It doesn’t support individuality, it supports conformity with what the standard of beauty’.

Those who are not pursuing cosmetic adjustments to themselves still us efface filters and editing apps can have serious health consequences. This is because it allows us to compare the image taken and the edited image which compares their actual appearance to the idealized and unrealistic retouched appearance which is impossible to achieve in real life.

Dive self-esteem project, 60% of girls feel upset when their appearance doesn’t match the online version of themselves.

‘Young women who spent just ten minutes taking, editing, and posting selfies to social media reported feeling more anxious, less confident and less physically attractive afterwards compared to these who didn’t engage in these behaviours’ Diedrichs tells `Forbes.

Those who are particularly insecure, the gap between expectations and reality can lead to body dysmorphic disorder, which is a meatal illness which effects one in 50 people within the US.

This is because we become fixated and obsessed which often leads to anxiety and social isolation leading to the seeking of cosmetic surgery. The inability to live u the edited face can trigger anxiety, depression and eating disorders.

Latest findings show that 52% of girls use filters every day and 80% have used an app to change their appearance before the age of 13.

Dr Egger believes platforms have a responsibility to regulate filter use, Instagram banned filters promoting cosmetic surgery in late 2019, they currently indicate when the filter is being used. However, images can still be edited externally and re-uploaded to the app

Technology cannot be changed, we can adjust and hopefully the future generations. We need to be aware of the difference between the ideals and reality.  \

It has been found that 82% of parents have the sex talk however Dove says only 30% of parents are engaging in the ‘selfie talk’, an open conversation between parents and their kids on the pressure of social media.

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We've been looking in the mirror a lot more lately-that is, the mirror of our devices. "One of the strangest things about Zoom is you're looking at yourself, usually we don't look at ourselves when we meet with other people," says Dr. Helen Egger, child psychiatrist and co-founder of forthcoming mental health company Little Otter. As our lives have transitioned to our screens over the past year, we've become particularly self-conscious of our faces. Dr. Melissa Doft, a double board-certified plastic surgeon in Manhattan, tells Forbes many of her patients have been complaining about their appearance on Zoom, "where we used to complain about how we looked in a mirror, more people are criticizing their photos instead of their reflection," she says.

All the time spent on video calls is making people more self-conscious of their appearance.
getty

Our technology might be making us more insecure, but it also offers an alluring solution-with facial filters and editing apps, you can now tap and swipe away your blemishes in mere seconds. Both Instagram and Snapchat-platforms that hit record high levels of engagement during the pandemic-have beauty and augmented-reality facial filters. Settings like the 'enhance' feature on TikTok and 'touch up my appearance' on Zoom deliver flawless skin for videos. Editing apps such as FaceTune-which saw usage increase by 20% at the beginning of the pandemic and has over 1 million edited images exported daily-allow users to smooth, shrink and sharpen their way to perfection. It's never been easier to picture your ideal face.

Edited imagery, and its influence on self-esteem and conceptions of beauty, is nothing new. "We've always had the challenge of images being filtered and doctored to make unrealistic measures for what beauty looks like," Dr. Egger tells Forbes. But before social media, the source of our insecurity was failing to meet the beauty ideals modelled on magazine covers. Now, we compare ourselves, not only to an airbrushed elite, but to our airbrushed peers, and our airbrushed selves. "What is taking it to the next level with these filters is it's not just seeing an image of a celebrity who is unrealistic and measuring yourself against that person, it's measuring your real self against a pretend image of yourself."

While making up for a makeup-less face with the occasional Instagram story filter may seem harmless, repeated use creates a new normal for how we think our faces should look. The edited image receives positive reinforcement in the form of likes and comments, "it's a dopamine hit, it's like 'woah I'm popular, I like this feeling, I want to do it again,' it can feed on itself," says Dr. Egger. Validating each other's perfected images sparks, what Dr. Jasmine Fardouly from the Department of Psychology at Macquarie University calls, an " envy spiral "; creating an "airbrushed online environment that's increasingly divorced from reality."

In this airbrushed online environment, everyone now has access to their own virtual plastic surgeon. "Using a face filter will show a patient what they look like with a smaller nose, no bags under their eyes or more defined jaw line," Dr. Doft tells Forbes. "They place an image in the patient's head of their best self, so of course they want to try to obtain it." And with Botox and less-invasive fillers becoming increasingly less expensive, it's no longer just celebrities and youth-seeking retirees obtaining that "best self"; it's wealthy millennials and Gen Z'ers too.

It's no surprise, then, that the rise of face filters and editing apps has been correlated with a surge in cosmetic surgeries. Research on the link between social media and self-esteem finds users of image-heavy social media platforms, like Instagram, are more likely to consider going under the knife, while 55% of plastic surgeons in 2018 reported their patients' surgeries were motivated by a desire to look better in selfies. Face filters not only drive users to make changes in real life, they shape the kinds of alterations they desire too. Dr. Doft tells Forbes her younger female clients make specific requests based on the filters they use, "The most common are rhinoplasty, blepharoplasty, chin augmentation, submental liposuction or facelift surgery."

Selfies and face filters illuminate the small details that would normally go unnoticed, like asymmetry. "Facial symmetry is a huge request," says Dr. Doft. With over 51 million views on TikTok, the #SideProfileCheck hashtag, highlights the cultural obsession with a symmetrical face. While over on Instagram, Jameela Jamil describes seeing "the same kind of doll face, the tiny, tiny, contoured nose, massive lips, big slanted eyes: general Eurocentric beauty but with aspects of different ethnicities that we deem acceptable," in an interview with Harper's Bazaar last month. Difference is reduced into the filter's mould, elevating a certain set of features over time to become the ideal face.

"These face filters are using algorithms to reinforce a certain standard of beauty that is very narrow," says Dr. Egger. That standard? ' Instagram Face ': characterized by high cheekbones, poreless skin, cat-like eyes and plump lips.The conflation of diversity into a single look worries Dr. Egger, "it doesn't support individuality, it supports conformity with what's the standard of beauty," the psychiatrist says. Even worse, people assume this unique combination of features is attainable. "These filters make a plastic surgeon's job much more difficult," says Dr. Doft. "It's important to not only look at morphed photos but also at before and after photos of real patients to fully understand what surgery is capable of accomplishing."

But even for those not pursuing cosmetic adjustments, using face filters and editing apps can have serious health consequences. "Selfie-taking and photo-editing leads users to compare their actual appearance to an idealized and unrealistic retouched appearance which is impossible to achieve in real life," says professor Phillippa Diedrichs, a psychologist at the Centre of Appearance Research at the University of West England. According to Diedrichs' recent research with the Dove Self-Esteem Project, 60% of girls feel upset when their real appearance doesn't match the online version of themselves. "Young women who spent just 10 minutes taking, editing and posting selfies to social media reported feeling more anxious, less confident and less physically attractive afterwards compared to those who didn't engage in these behaviours," Diedrichs tells Forbes.

For particularly insecure individuals, the gap between expectations and reality can lead to body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)-a mental illness that affects one in 50 people in the United States. Classified along the obsessive compulsive spectrum, people with BDD are convinced some aspect of their body isn't good enough, "it becomes the fixation, an obsessive worry that often leads to anxiety, social isolation and seeking out cosmetic surgery," says Dr. Egger. It is so common among social media users that the term ' Snapchat Dysmorphia' was created by plastic surgeon Dr. Tijon Esho in 2018 to describe the increasing phenomenon of people seeking out cosmetic surgery to achieve their filtered face in real life.

The inability to live up to the edited face can trigger anxiety, depression and eating disorders too, Dr. Egger tells Forbes. The risks are particularly harmful for young people, who, according to Dove's latest research, spend an average of five hours per day on social media. "Adolescence is a key developmental period for the onset of depression, body image concerns and eating disorders, therefore they're a high risk group," says Diedrichs, citing Dove's latest findings that 52% of girls use filters every day and 80% have used an app to change their appearance before the age of 13.

"When you're a grown-up you have a pretty solid of your identity, but children are developing and discovering who they are," says Dr. Egger. "It's so heartbreaking to think of children measuring themselves against this ideal with the big eyes and big lips, and then seeing their real selves as defective." According to Diedrichs, 77% of girls studied in Dove's latest study reported trying to change or hide at least one part of their body before posting a photo of themselves and 50% believed they didn't look good enough without photo editing. "This suggests that the cumulative effect of filters and digital distortion over time is creating low self-worth among girls and young women," says Diedrichs.

According to Dove's latest research, 80% of girls are using retouching apps before the age of 13.
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Who is responsible for the use of face filters? Dr. Egger believes platforms have a responsibility to regulate filter use. Recognizing the influence of social media on body image, Instagram banned filters promoting cosmetic surgery in late 2019. Currently, Instagram stories indicate when a filter is being used. But images can still be edited externally and re-uploaded to the app-labelling filters or removing them all together doesn't seem to be enough to curb the chase for perfection. "We wish that a warning would make a difference but you can't un-see it," Dr. Egger tells Forbes. "The adolescents I have spoken to in my research say they're aware of digital distortion online," says Diedrichs. "The awareness doesn't always stop them from aspiring to look like the retouched images or feeling bad that they can't match them."

While we can't change the technology, we can adjust how we, and hopefully future generations, engage with it. "Any talk about how we mitigate the risk of this in children has to start with making sure the grown-ups are aware of the difference between these ideals and reality," says Dr. Egger. "We have to give parents the tools to model this for their kids and have an open conversation about it." The child psychiatrist sees this moment as an opportunity for education, and she isn't the only one. "Not only are we not educating children, we're also not educating their parents," Jameela Jamil told Harper's Bazaar last month. "If you send the next generation into the world with the right vocabulary... they're less likely to have health problems."

The need for the "right vocabulary" is what's driving Dove's new Selfie Talk Campaign, which launched last week. It's the latest research endeavor from the Dove Self-Esteem Project, a campaign that has provided body confidence education to over 69 million young people since its inception in 2004. With their ' No Digital Distortion' mark and viral ' Real Beauty Sketches' video, the beauty company has built a reputation on promoting real beauty and improving visual literacy among young people. Their latest 'Reverse Selfie' video furthers that effort by highlighting the harmful effects of editing apps on young girls.

While 82% of parents have the sex talk, Dove says only 30% of parents are engaging in 'The Selfie Talk': an open conversation between parents and their kids on the pressures of social media. "That's why we've created the Confidence Kit: a free tool to help adults navigate discussions with their children about social media, critical thinking and body confidence," Diedrichs tells Forbes. The research psychologist says the Centre for Appearance Research has also designed 'Confident Me Workshops' for teachers to help their students develop media literacy skills and strategies for becoming more resilient to the pressures they face online.

"People are struggling with their self-image and self-confidence more than ever," says Lizzo, the campaign's official celebrity partner. "This is amplified by the increasing pressure to show a digitally distorted version of ourselves, reinforcing the idea that our beauty in real life is not good enough or worthy of likes." The body confidence advocate celebrated the campaign launch last week by posting an unedited nude selfie on Instagram with the caption, "Normally I would fix my belly and smooth my skin but baby I wanted show u how I do it au natural."

Lizzo and Dove are countering the harmful effects of online facial manipulation by embracing realness and diversity, and they're not alone. The Body Shop recently launched their research-backed ' Global Self Love Movement' and has committed to not overly editing their images. Aerie-the intimates brand known for their inclusive, non-airbrushed ad campaigns- has taken a similar approach with #AerieREAL, encouraging shoppers to upload unedited selfies. Beauty influencers online are countering 'Instagram Face' by posting unfiltered selfies, like makeup artist and model Sasha Louise Pallar whose #filterdrop campaign encourages users to share unedited photos of their skin. Relatability and realness are now favoured over the hyper-curated aesthetic. While the algorithms and filters remain, a culture of resistance is growing.

All the time at home over the past year may have increased our screen-time, but it's also loosened our beauty routines, forcing many to take a hard look in the mirror. While some have found comfort in making up their face online, others are taking the reality-check as an opportunity to embrace the 'au natural' look instead. As we emerge from the pandemic to meet again face-to-face, without filters to hide behind, our eyes will be reminded of all the physical differences that make us unique. If there was ever a moment to redefine what is considered beautiful, this is it.

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From 'Instagram Face' To 'Snapchat Dysmorphia': How Beauty Filters Are Changing The Way We See Ourselves

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We've been looking in the mirror a lot more lately-that is, the mirror of our devices. "One of the strangest things about Zoom is you're looking at yourself, usually we don't look at ourselves when we meet with other people," says Dr. Helen Egger, child psychiatrist and co-founder of forthcoming mental health company Little Otter.

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'Instagram face' to 'Snapchat dysmorphia', how beauty filters are changing the way we see ourselves

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'Instagram face' to 'Snapchat dysmorphia', how beauty filters are changing the way we see ourselves

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(Haines, 2021)

The use of filters are changing the way we see ourselves. This was accelerated by the pandemic as we changed the way we lived our lives. This is because we adapted and moved our lives online and used other means of communication; technology.

Is the use of technology making us more insecure about ourselves?

We all now have access to our own virtual plastic surgery, from the use of filters which allows us to see ourselves with changes. The rise in filters has a correlated with a surge in cosmetic surgery, With a link between social media and self esteem.
55% of plastic surgery in 2018 reported patients being motivated by the desire to look better, the use of filters also shape the kinds of alterations they desire and show us what we can change about ourselves.

Face filter use algorithms to reinforce a standard of beauty which is narrow. Dr Egger, 'It doesn't support individuality, it supports conformity with what the standard of beauty'.

Even those not pursing cosmetic adjustments use face filters and editing apps can still lead to serious health consequences. This is because it allows us to compare the original images taken to the edited, comparing out actual appearance to the idealised and unrealistic retouched which is impossible to achieve in real life.

DOVE Self esteem project
60% of girls feel upset when their appearance doesn't match the online versions of themselves.
'Young women who spent just ten minutes taking, editing, and posting selfies to social media reported feeling more anxious, less confident and less physically attractive afterwards compared to those who didn't engage in these behaviours' Diedrichs tells Forbes.

Individuals who feel particularly insecure, the gap between expectations and reality can lead to body dysmorphic disorder, which is a mental illness which effects 1 in 50 people in the US.
This is because as individuals we become fixated and obsessed which often leads to anxiety and social isolation which has lead to the seeking of cosmetic surgery. The inability to have the edited face can trigger anxiety, depression and eating disorders.
The latest findings shows that 52% of girls use filters everyday and 80% have used an app to change their appearance before the age of 13.

Dr Egger believes platforms have a responsibility to regulate filters use, instagram banned filters promoting cosmetic surgery in late 2019, they currently indicate when the filters is being used. However, images can still be edited externally and re-uploaded to the app.

Technology is here to stay and will be continued advancements with ever growing technology. Hopefully with future generations more awareness will be created to the ideal to reality.

It has a been found that 82% of parents have the sex talk however Dove says only 30% of parents are engaging in the 'selfie talk', an open conversation between parents and their kids on the pressure of social media.

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Newspaper: Do you use a filter every  time you post?

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Newspaper: Do you use a filter every  time you post?

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Do you use a filter every time you post?

It’s an instinct we must present ourselves as best as we can, however research on filters and mental health has revealed that filtering actually depletes self-esteem and distorts out body images. The further we alter our images from how we look, the worst we feel.
Social media is becoming more open about speaking about mental health and accepting that 'not being okay is okay'. but how are we supposed to look good whilst speaking about it.

What is social media filters?: Appearance altering filters are also known as beauty filters are photo editing tools which uses artificial intelligence and change facial features.

NEW RESEARCH ON FILTERS AND MENTAL HEALTH
A 2021 study by City University of London researchers explored the negative effect of filters on mental health. Participants included 175 young women aged between18 and 30 the majority of those being 20 and 21.

-       The study found that 90% of young women reported to using filters or editing their photos

'Young women told us they feel under considerable pressure to present themselves as fun, happy and sociable- as well as effortlessly beautiful - reflecting the ways that appearance pressures have extended into presenting 'a perfect self', they reflected self critically on every aspect of themselves, including their clothes, shows, style and looks, and often worried that they might 'bring friends down' in a group shot. it is hard to overstate the palpable sense of pressure they conveyed'.
Study author Rosalind Gill, Professor of social and cultural analysis (City university of London)

The negative effects of filters

-       94% of participants said they felt under pressure to look a particular way and more than half of these said the pressure was intense

-       70% felt pressure to showcase a ‘perfect life’

-       86% said their social media representations did not reflect their real life.

Body dysmorphia and social media filters
Filters and mental health is having a negative effect on body image. Research has shown that young adults who frequently use filters on social media often have increased feeling of dissatisfaction with their actual face and body. They are not only comparing their appearance to 'perfect' images of others but they are also comparing against their own flittered versions.

Body dysmorphia and social media have created 'filter dysmorohia' also referred to as snapchat dysmorphia, known as a condition where a person is obsessed with perceived flaws in their face or body. Social media has caused people to strive for unrealistic standards of beauty, contributing to increases in dysmorphia.

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If you answered yes to that question, you're not alone. Who doesn't want whiter teeth, brighter skin, more symmetrical features? Social media filters let us have that and more, so we can keep up with all the other filter-using selfie-takers in our feeds. How could there be anything wrong with that?

It's a natural impulse to want to present ourselves in the best light. But research on filters and mental health reveals that filtering actually depletes self-esteem and distorts body image. The further our filtered selfies get from how we really look, the worse we feel about ourselves. And while it's slowly becoming more accepted to talk about "not being okay" on social media, we're still supposed to look good while talking about it.

Appearance-altering filters on social media, also known as beauty filters, are photo editing tools that use artificial intelligence and computer vision to change facial features. For example, the TikTok "skinny filter" makes a face look slimmer, while Instagram's "perfect face filter" adjusts facial features according to a supposedly ideal ratio.

Sometimes referred to as AR (augmented reality), filters on social media have become increasingly popular. According to Snapchat, more than 90 percent of young people in the United States, France, and the UK use AR products on the app. Meta reports that more than 600 million people have used an AR effect on Facebook or Instagram.

New Research on Filters and Mental Health

A 2021 study by City University of London researchers explored the negative effects of filters on mental health. Participants included 175 young women and nonbinary people, ages 18-30, with the majority being 20 and 21. One of the most striking findings was that 90 percent of the young women in the study reported using filters or editing their photos.

The study also found answers to the question, What's the filter everyone uses the most? The five most common filters or edits were those used to even out skin tone, brighten skin, whiten teeth, bronze skin, and take off weight. In addition, participants used filters on social media to reshape their jaw or nose, make their lips look fuller, and make their eyes look bigger.

The Negative Effects of Filters

Looking at the association between filters and mental health, the study found the following statistics on the negative effects of filters:

94 percent of participants said they felt under pressure to look a particular way, and more than half of those said the pressure was intense

70 percent felt pressure to showcase a "perfect life"

86 percent said their social media representations did not reflect their real life.

The researchers stated, "Young women told us that these standards [of attractiveness] are 'unattainable' and 'toxic' and that they are wearing them down and making them unhappy." In addition, young people with low self-esteem and poor body image are more likely to use filters, further reinforcing the negative belief that their appearance isn't good enough.

Moreover, these feelings and behaviors start early. Research conducted by the Dove Self-Esteem Project in 2020 found that 80 percent of girls have downloaded a filter or used an app to change the way they look in photos by age 13.

Body Dysmorphia and Social Media Filters

Another link between filters and mental health is the negative impact on body image. Research shows that young adults who frequently use filters on social media often have increased feelings of dissatisfaction with their actual face and body. Not only are they comparing their appearance to "perfect" images of celebrities and peers, they're judging themselves against their own filtered selfies. This constant comparison can wreak havoc on body image and self-esteem.

In fact, the collision of comparison syndrome, body dysmorphia, and social media have created a "filter dysmorphia," also referred to as Snapchat dysmorphia. Dysmorphia, also called body dysmorphic disorder, is a mental health condition in which the person is obsessed with the perceived flaws in their face or body. Social media comparison and filters on social media cause people to strive for unrealistic standards of beauty, contributing to increases in dysmorphia.

Hence, young people with filter dysmorphia experience a sense of disconnection between how they really look and the edited images they share with the world-a kind of self-objectification. That may be why people who use photo editing apps regularly are also more likely to consider having cosmetic surgery. Yet another aspect of this issue is the way in which filters are inherently racist -lightening skin, narrowing noses, and otherwise shifting facial features toward a Eurocentric standard of beauty.

So, Should I Edit My Photos or Not?

Using filters on social media isn't necessarily a bad thing. To stop filtering your pictures can seem scary in the narcissistic world of social media, where we are constantly being judged (and judging others) on appearances. However, there are ways to develop healthier habits for filtering, posting, and scrolling. It starts with becoming more aware of how filters, body image, and social comparison impact your emotions and well-being on a day-to-day basis.

Here are some tips for managing your use of filters and mental health issues associated with them.

Do a "selfie audit."

Pay attention to how much time you spend filtering and posting, and how it makes you feel. What is your mood like during and after the editing and posting process? Once you do post, do you keep anxiously checking for reactions and comparing your images to others? Are your posting and social media comparison enhancing your well-being or detracting from it? The answers may help you navigate a path forward that will be more protective of your self-esteem and body image.

Consider the message you're giving yourself.

Every time you filter a selfie, you're consciously or unconsciously telling yourself that you don't look good enough as you really are. You're buying into a kind of social media distortion-a world in which everyone is creating false versions of themselves in an attempt to meet conventional standards of beauty. How satisfying are those likes and comments you're striving for, if they're about an image that isn't representing who you really are?

Embrace your authentic self.

Remember that our "flaws" are part of what make us interesting, real, and relatable. Practice self-compassion and try appreciating yourself for all your qualities, not just the ones that can be seen in a selfie. Building a caring and supportive relationship with yourself will help you build authentic relationships with others, IRL.

Think about what you could be doing instead.

Less time spent editing and posting might mean more time taking a hike, having face-to-face interactions, or doing something creative. Or are there hard things you need to do, and you've been avoiding them by spending all your time on the apps? Consider whether filtering and posting have become a way of avoiding real-life issues or expectations.

Try caring less about what others think.

Emerging adulthood is a time when others' opinions carry a huge amount of weight. But realistically, what people on social media think about you doesn't have to affect your daily life. You can choose how much time you spend there. Why not focus your energy instead on cultivating friendships with people who know and love the real you? Research shows that real-life friendships increase happiness, while online networks have neutral or negative effects on well-being.

Treatment for the Negative Effects of Filters on Self-Esteem and Body Image

Social media overuse and social comparison can trigger anxiety, depression, and self-esteem issues, or they can make existing mental health conditions worse. At Newport Institute, we address these issues through treating the root causes, while at the same time supporting young adults to build healthy coping skills and lifestyle habits. That includes developing more balanced relationships with devices in general and social media in particular.

Our clinicians are trained in modalities including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, mindfulness, and EMDR, and our approach is proven to heal the underlying mental health issues that catalyze conditions like body dysmorphia and social media addiction. Contact us today to learn more.

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Do You Use a Filter Every Time You Post?

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If you answered yes to that question, you're not alone. Who doesn't want whiter teeth, brighter skin, more symmetrical features? Social media filters let us have that and more, so we can keep up with all the other filter-using selfie-takers in our feeds. How could there be anything wrong with that?

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How social media filters are affecting our mental health 

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How social media filters are affecting our mental health 

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Marrie Claire: Two doctors want you ti know what social media filters might be doing to your mental health

Ally Head, 2021

-> Instagram has over 815 million users
-> 2020 Sasha Pallari started using the hashtag #filterdrop to encourage social media users to post selfies without any filters at all

Instagram filters vs reality

***could a warning/disclaimer on images help prevent this from happening

Five tips for protecting your mental health if online filters are affecting your confidence
1. Be selective about who you follow and what you use
2. Reduce your time online
3. Put your own mental health first
4. Practice self compassion
5. Seek support

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Plus, discuss the effect this could have on a generation constantly comparing themselves to completely unattainable beauty standards

Checking my Instagram after work one day, a post jumps out at me.

I stop my scrolling to examine a story from content creator Faye Dickinson, who has 75k followers. Half the screen is a normal photo of her face: she's sans make up and wearing a black and red hoodie with her hair in a bun. On the other side, her features are edited - albeit not dramatically - by one of the platform's many 'subtle' beauty filters.

But that's the thing - while you wouldn't notice the edits if they were all over her face, when you see them side-by-side, the Photoshopping really stands out. Her lips are plumped to a level that could realistically only be achieved by filler, her skin is airbrushed of all and any imperfections, and her eyes are a totally different colour under a row of perfectly edited on lashes.

These filters are used by millions of people every day - Instagram has over 815 million users, and while the exact number of story filters are unknown, it's definitely in the hundreds of thousands. Many of said filters pose as subtle day-to-day colour changes or brightening effects but, in reality, edit your face and features more than perhaps even you know.

Last year, Sasha Pallari started using the hashtag #FilterDrop to encourage social media users to post selfies without any filter at all. She went on to lobby the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) about face-altering apps and Photoshop on social media, arguing that the constant blurring of real and fake, especially in the beauty world, was prompting influencers to sell products with highly Photoshopped and filtered images of themselves.

They've since introduced laws around beauty influencing, which dictate that you must state if you've edited a photo, but it's not enough.

When the 'you' you're seeing every day on social looks medically enhanced, what does this actually do to your mental health and internal body image narrative? I reached out to Dickinson to get her take on the trend and further chatted to two doctors about the effect this constant yet subtle airbrushing is having on our mental health. Keep reading.

Introducing Filter vs Reality

A 2017 study in the journal Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications found that manipulated images are only recognised 60% to 65% of the time. Seeing how many filters even subtly Photoshop your face now, it begs the question: what effect will this have on a younger generation who are constantly comparing themselves to completely unattainable beauty standards?

According to Dickinson, "I created my split-screen filter to show people how dramatic these beauty filters really are. They rid you of skin textures, tones, scars, everything that makes you, you, and I've no doubt it's affecting our mental health," she shares.

"It's so easy to feel insecure, especially when so much of the content we consume daily is filtered and photoshopped. When everyone looks picture-perfect, it's hard not to focus on your flaws," she goes on.

What effect do you think these filters have on our mental health?

Research has previously established that social media use negatively impacts mental health, increasing the risk of anxiety, body dissatisfaction, low self esteem, depression and suicidal thoughts, points out doctor Mariam Adegoke GP and founder of Adegoke Wellness Clinic.

"In one particular study, results showed that manipulating selfies (i.e through use of filters), led to greater body-related concerns. And in a catch twenty two, those who are dissatisfied with their image are more likely to use a filter, further reinforcing the negative belief that how they look is not good enough," she explains.

They're also seeing that translate in clinic - 'there has been a noticeable rise in people requesting treatments such as dermal fillers or PDO threads to have lips like Kim, a jawline like Kylie, or eyes like Bella Hadid', she shares. More dangerously, she shares that there has been a rise in people travelling abroad for dangerous Brazilian butt lift surgeries to get the signature Kardashian hourglass figure.

Pablo Vandenabeele, Clinical Director of Mental Health at Bupa UK, agrees, sharing that for some, selfies and filters can be light-hearted, but for others, they can be harmful to your overall mental wellbeing. "Your self-esteem and life satisfaction can be negatively affected, particularly after using image-altering filters that 'beautify' your appearance. These can set an unrealistic expectations and may lead to people striving for a very narrow concept of 'perfection'."

Think about is - when there's a difference between the images posted online and what you're seeing in the mirror day-to-day, there's bound to be some repercussions. "In some cases, this can lead to a low mood, anxiety, and depression, as well as body image issues, such as body dysmorphia," Pablo explains.

What is the solution?

Good question - and one that there's not necessarily an answer to yet. We asked both experts if further legislation would help, or whether flagging each image as edited may be the way forwards?

"Having to have a warning would certainly be a helpful reminder for when people go to compare themselves to others," shares doctor Adegoke. She also reckons that more robust regulations around advertising on social media would help to tackle the level of misinformation on these platforms.

Recurrently reinforcing the fact that not everything you see online is real, through health education adverts or other means, is also important, she reckons.

And finally, she also believes that we need to create a culture where we don't have so much screen time. "Remember to exist in the real world and not just online," she advises, "However, this is obviously easier said than done in the middle of a technology boom."

5 tips for protecting your mental health, if online filters are affecting your confidence

1. Be selective about who you follow, and what you use

Vandenabeele recommends you actively seek out accounts that promote real people and body positivity, celebrating beauty in all its shapes and sizes. "Unfollow any accounts that make you feel negative in any form - whether it's jealousy, upset, shock or simply disinterest," he recommends. Remember: you don't have to follow anyone.

Similarly, avoid using any apps that negatively affect your wellbeing. Although it's easier said than done, it has lots of benefits for your mental health.

2. Reduce your time online

If you're using social media filters and it's causing you to feel negatively about yourself or your appearance, it's time to switch off.

"If you experience any negative thoughts, anxiety, low mood, or depression when you use these apps, switch off and focus your attention elsewhere - perhaps a relaxing activity, like reading or a walk outside," the doctor advises.

3. Put your mental health first

You should regularly check in on yourself and your social media habits - 'it's crucial to have a healthy relationship with these apps', according to the expert.

"There are lots of benefits to social media especially as it's helped us stay closer over the last year, but unfortunately it can exacerbate mental health issues," Vandenabeele says.

4. Practice self-compassion

Social media filters can set unrealistic expectations for yourself, and leave you feeling low, as we've covered. "Try tuning in to your inner voice and noticing how it speaks to you - it's important to be kind to yourself and accepting your strengths and weaknesses," he shares.

Try this: Writing down three things everyday you're proud of can be a great self-care idea. The idea is to build up a picture of yourself that's based on truth and evidence, which you can turn to for reassurance and in times of self doubt.

5. Seek support

If you think social media filters are genuinely impacting your day-to-day life and taking a break isn't helping, it's important to speak to your GP, a mental health professional or a loved one, advises Vandenabeele.

"There is always support available; it can feel a huge relief to open-up about any negative feelings you're experiencing," he shares.

This isn't something you need to face alone: do reach out to your doctor or contact mental health organisations like Mind, who have a free helpline.

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So, are social media filters ruining your mental health? | Marie Claire

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Plus, discuss the effect this could have on a generation constantly comparing themselves to completely unattainable beauty standards Checking my Instagram after work one day, a post jumps out at me. I stop my scrolling to examine a story from content creator Faye Dickinson, who has 75k followers.

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'When likes aren't enough, A Crash course in the science of happiness' 

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'When likes aren't enough, A Crash course in the science of happiness' 

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points
-> constantly changing likes on social media
-> Increase in mental health concerns which is to be connected with the social media presence and the amount of likes they receive
-> The obsession with social media isn't leading down the correct path
-> The uncertainty we have connected with social media, looking at other people (what they are doing), received enough likes
-> Social media and the online world becomes a habit, the likes we receive is a short term gratification but doesn't build long term happiness
-> Benefits of social media - reconnect with people that because of social media you can now speak and connect with people
-> Social comparison
-> Peoples actual experience in the world but we modify what we put out online (what is going to give us a better life, the better photos we choose, we choose the images we put on which represent out lives but in reality that isn't what we are doing 24/7)

DR TIM BONO doesn't believe social media needs to be got rid of but shift time to things which are going to bring us happiness.
-> Gratitude, social intergrations, meditation
-> Not the number of likes we receive online

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Dr. Tim Bono's new book, "When Likes Aren't Enough: A Crash Course in the Science of Happiness"

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ABC News: How social media filters impact mental health 

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ABC News: How social media filters impact mental health 

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-> Augmented reality
-> Khloe felt as though she needed to show herself online as a leaked image which was  unfiltered was revealed.
-> Loosing touch with what reality looks like
-> False sense of what we should look like
-> What makes us feel good
-> Self esteem boost from what others think about us
-> 62% plastic surgeons said patients driven by dissatisfaction with their social media profile 57% wanted to look better on social media
-> They reached out to snapchat who reject any lenses that mimic cosmetic surgery
-> Instagram and Facebook 'We know people may feel pressure to look a certain way on social media so we ban effects that clearly promote eating disorders on that encourage potentially dangerous cosmetic surgery procedures'

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How social media filters impact mental health

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Alexa Lago, October 2013

-> Excessive use of photoshop can be found in the majority of photos we see, from advertisements to magazines we are surrounded by unrealistic images. This is all within a society which promotes flawless physique and features as being the ‘norm’, this has promoted young girls and women to feel pressure to conform to the unrealistic standards and expectations which are promoted to us.

-> Instead of photo shop being used to enhance the quality of photos, they are used instead to completely distort a women’s body into something that it is not.

-> An example being models that are already scarily skinny are made even smaller by magazines and photographers. Their waists are shrunk, their arms and legs become nothing, but bones and every imperfection is completely erased. Some of them go to the extent to morph the women into figures which are impossible to achieve and nothing short of a barbie-like.

-> These believe us to believe that beauty can only exist in an unachievable body type; that its even remotely healthy to look like the models in the photos we see. It teaches us that its appropriate to try to hide our flaws at all costs instead of embracing them. Hours are spent at the gym and extreme dieting can’t even create the photo shoped images. Yet as a society we are believed that it can be because of what they see on the covers of magazines day after day.

-> Highly edited images tend to be praised instead of seeing them for what they really are which is fake. No one can have perfect skin, a size zero body and flawless features, though we fool ourselves into thinking that its achievable. When young girls see their role model on the cover of a magazine conforming to these images, they think have to as well.

-> These photos when combined with other issues, can lead to low self-esteem, a poor body image and eating disorders like anorexia, all of which can be serious issues that can take years to battle and overcome.

-> The national eating disorder information centre is a non-profit organisation that works to help people struggling with these issues and spread knowledge onto them

-> The NEDIC launched a campaign urging fashion leaders and marketers to use models with all different body types for their photo shoots and reduce the amount of retouching done in photos.

the petition and campaign were used to help women feel empowered and shed their poor self-image, sadly even the NEDIC campaign and support from other outlets the right to end the excessive use of photoshop is a long way off.

Until then all we can do is remind ourselves that what we see if simpy an illusion and not reality. With the hope that more awareness is brought to light this can be stoped and the misuse of photoshop.

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In today's world, the excessive use of Photoshop can be found in the majority of the photos we see.

From advertisements to magazines, we are endlessly surrounded by unrealistic images. In a society that promotes a flawless physique and features as the "norm," young girls and women often feel the pressure to conform to the unrealistic expectations promoted through digitally altered photos.

Not only does excessive use of Photoshop on photos send out a poor message, but it also can cause low self-esteem and body image issues.

Instead of being used to enhance the quality of photos, Photoshop is used to completely distort a woman's body into something it's not.

Models that are already scarily skinny are made even smaller by magazines and photographers. Their waists are shrunk, their arms and legs become nothing but bones and every imperfection is completely erased.

Some photos go as far as to morph the women into figures that are impossible to achieve in reality and are nothing short of Barbie-like.

The negative message these photos send out, especially to someone who is already struggling with their image, is awful.

These types of photos lead us to believe that beauty can only exist in an unachievable body type; that it's even remotely healthy to look like the models in the photos we see. It teaches us that it's appropriate to try to hide our flaws at all costs instead of embracing them.

Hours spent at the gym and extreme dieting can't even create the image that Photoshopped pictures do. Yet young women and girls are led to believe it can be because of what they see on the covers of magazines day after day.

Instead of focusing on what is healthy and all different types of body shapes, we are presented with the same Barbie-like figure time and time again.

These are not safe or healthy ideals to be sending out to an impressionable audience.

A good portion of the problem comes from the influence of the entertainment industry.

In society, celebrities often define what culture believes is beautiful, and almost all of the images we see of celebrities and models in magazines are edited to some extent.

We tend to praise these highly edited images instead of seeing them for what they really are, which is fake.

No one can have perfect skin, a size 0 body and flawless features, though we fool ourselves into thinking that it's achievable. When young girls see their role model on the cover of a magazine conforming to these images, they think they have to as well.

These ridiculous photos, when combined with other issues, can lead to low self-esteem, a poor body image and eating disorders like anorexia, all of which can be serious issues that can take years to battle and overcome.

The National Eating Disorder Information Centre is a non-profit organization that works to help people struggling with these issues and to spread knowledge on them.

The NEDIC launched a campaign urging fashion leaders and marketers to use models with all different body types for their photo shoots, and reduce the amount of retouching done in photos.

The petition and campaign were used to help women feel empowered and shed their poor self-image.

Sadly, even with the NEDIC's campaign and support from other outlets, the fight to end the excessive use of Photoshop is a long way off.

Until then all we can do is remind ourselves that what we see is simply an illusion and not reality.

Hopefully if more awareness is brought to light, we can stop this misuse of Photoshop for good.

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In today's world, the excessive use of Photoshop can be found in the majority of the photos we see. From advertisements to magazines, we are endlessly surrounded by unrealistic images. In a society that promotes a flawless physique and features as the "norm," young girls and women often feel the pressure to conform to the...

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BBC THREE: Be honest, how much do you edit your selfies 

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BBC THREE: Be honest, how much do you edit your selfies 

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Moya Lothian-McLean
Feb 2019

Selfie harm a new project from fashion photographer Rankin, is revealing just how warped out selfies culture is.

A photographer having photographed everyone from Kate Moss to the queen Rankin has helped shape modern photography and portraiture as we know it. His latest enterprise, Rankin snapped portraits of 15 British teenagers that handed over the reins to his subject to edit until they felt the images were ‘social media ready’.

-       Each photograph was tinkered with the most common alteration being smoother skin, enhanced eyes and thinner noses, not one image was left untouched.

-       His project is the latest addition to an ongoing conversation about the effects of social media on body image. We all love presenting out best selves online. The past few years there been increasing concern about how much damage readily available apps that can change our entire appearance in just a few clicks are doing to young people’s self esteem.
-       One study suggested that the average millennial will take 25,700 selfies during their lifetime, which averages out to be about one a day.

-       ‘it’s time to acknowledge the damaging effects that social media has on peoples self-image’ says Rankin
-       ‘Social media has made everyone into their own brand, people are creating a two dimensional version of themselves at the perfect angle, with the most flattering lighting and with any apparent ‘flaws; removed. Mix this readily available technology with the celebrities and influencers flaunting impossible shapes with impossible faces and we’ve got a recipe for disaster’.

-       in 2017 Instagram was rated the worst social media platform for mental health by people aged 14-24, with snapchat coming in just above. But apps are both heavily image focused. This impact is such that cosmetic surgeons have identified a new trend among would be patients approaching them for procedures which will make them resemble their digitally altered likenesses, dubbed ‘snapchat dysmorphia’ by Tijon Esho

-       A new beauty ideal which experts say is almost impossible to come by naturally and needs tackling before it causes lasting damage to young people’s body image. Over the past few years despite a decrease in tractional cosmetic surgery ‘non-surgical’ [procedures, like dermal filters and Botox. This produces the aesthetic prized by Instagram has grown in popularity. Millennials seeking quick and easily accessible ‘fixes’ for their insecurities.

-       ‘When we compare ourselves to other people, that has the potential to affect the valuation of ourselves’ said Jennifer Mills associate professor in the department of psychology at York University. Jennifer’s 2018 study (YORK/ Study: social media is affecting the way we view out bodies – not in a good way/ November 2018)

Found young women felt worse about their own body image when exposed to social media posts of people they thought were more attractive than themselves.

‘we really need to educate young people on how social media use could be making them feel about themselves and how this could even be linked to stringent dieting, eating disorders or exercise. There are people who may be triggered by social media and who are especially vulnerable’
.

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Are these the most revealing photographs ever taken?

Moya Lothian-McLean

And let's face it, it's going to be at least 20 pics until you've fully warmed up the model within. And even then, your final snaps are missing a little something - time for some filters and editing!

The results are a sucker punch.

Each one tinkered with their photographs, with the most common alterations being smoother skin, enhanced eyes and thinner noses. Not one left their image untouched.

Looks like this post is no longer available from its original source. It might've been taken down or had its privacy settings changed."

"It's time to acknowledge the damaging effects that social media has on people's self-image," says Rankin of the project, which is part of a wider initiative to explore the impact of imagery on our mental health.

"Social media has made everyone into their own brand. People are creating a two-dimensional version of themselves at the perfect angle, with the most flattering lighting and with any apparent 'flaws' removed. Mix this readily-available technology with the celebrities and influencers flaunting impossible shapes with impossible faces and we've got a recipe for disaster."

I understand wanting to be the best version of yourself, but I would hope you'd want to at least look like yourself. This is terrifying. https://t.co/b1XL73AZ3H
- Rachael Kelley (@RachaelKelley13) February 5, 2019

And actress Priyanka Chopra has posted filter-free snaps on her Instagram page.

Looks like this post is no longer available from its original source. It might've been taken down or had its privacy settings changed."

In 2017, Instagram was rated the worst social media platform for mental health by people aged 14-24, with Snapchat coming in just above it. Both are heavily image-focused. Their impact is such that cosmetic surgeons have identified a new trend among would-be-patients approaching them for procedures which will make them resemble their digitally-altered likenesses, dubbed 'Snapchat Dysmorphia' by Dr Tijon Esho.

Emily, 22, says her constant use of a selfie editor app has made her consider cosmetic procedures. "I use it every time I take a photo. I hate my chin so sometimes make that smaller, smooth out my face and whiten my teeth," she reels off.

"Before I was 'meh' about my teeth but now I want them professionally whitened after seeing how they look post-edit. Ideally, I'd have my chin, lips, teeth [altered cosmetically] and liposuction. But whitening is my main goal as it's least invasive and least costly. I want to look like an edited version of myself, essentially."

And Emily believes that being exposed to people on social media who've already made their Insta-faces a reality is part of the problem, too.

"I think seeing influencers who've clearly committed and had the surgery makes me more seriously think 'I could do that'. Or if they did it and have a bigger following than me, maybe I should do it too."

Fellow filter-disciple Ben, 25, reports that using photo-editing apps and Snapchat lenses give him a self-esteem boost. "I look at myself and try to feel more positive about my appearance but using filters make things better somehow," he says.

"I have considered cosmetic surgery to make myself more confident; I've thought about a nose job, or some lip and cheekbone touch-ups. [But] surgery scares me and I'm not willing to fork over the money unless I really feel I can make it happen."

And even those who aren't plugged into beauty trends will have clocked the rise of the 'Insta baddie' aesthetic, a look pioneered by the likes of Kim Kardashian (who else would it be?). The look - which is defined by fuller lips, large, Kewpie doll eyes, a slim nose and aristocratic cheekbones - is one that the most popular Snapchat lenses like the pink furry ears (you know which ones) and the dog filter, favoured by celebrities like Ariana Grande, mimic.

Together they've helped create a new beauty ideal that - in totally expected news - experts say is almost impossible to come by naturally and needs tackling before it causes lasting damage to young people's body image. Over the past few years, despite a decrease in traditional cosmetic surgery, 'non-surgical' procedures, like dermal fillers and Boxtox, which produce the aesthetic prized by Instagram, have sky-rocketed in popularity, partly thanks to millennials seeking quick and easily accessible 'fixes' for their insecurities.

Looks like this post is no longer available from its original source. It might've been taken down or had its privacy settings changed."

"We really need to educate young people on how social media use could be making them feel about themselves and how this could even be linked to stringent dieting, eating disorders or excessive exercise. There are people who may be triggered by social media and who are especially vulnerable."

But how to identify when overusing the deer filter is a sign of something more troubling?

"These filters are something very new and, in my opinion, a lot more dangerous," muses Rankin.

"It's like giving a teenager access to a Photoshop expert. We need to spark debate and discussion around [their usage]. Even to have a hashtag that says #notfiltered or #notfacetuned would be a start. Every platform is full of hyper-retouched and highly addictive imagery and it's messing people up."

If you have experienced any of the issues raised in this piece and want some more information or advice, you can find it here

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Be honest, how much do you edit YOUR selfies? - BBC Three

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N/A Are these the most revealing photographs ever taken? Moya Lothian-McLean And let's face it, it's going to be at least 20 pics until you've fully warmed up the model within. And even then, your final snaps are missing a little something - time for some filters and editing!

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JENNIFER 2018 STUDY (YORK/STUDY: Social media is affecting the way we view our bodies - not in a good way. 

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JENNIFER 2018 STUDY (YORK/STUDY: Social media is affecting the way we view our bodies - not in a good way. 

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November 2018

-       Young women who actively engage with social media images of friends who they think are more attractive than themselves report feeling worse about their own appearance afterwards, a York university study shows.

-       It is no secret that social media can blur the lines on what’s real and what’s fantasy

-       The research entitled ‘the effect of active social media engagements with peers on body image in young women; appears in the journal body image. The study was conducted by Jennifer Mills, associate professor in the department of Psychology and Jacqueline Hogue, a PhD student in the departments clinical program. It focus on young women, aged 18-27 years old, who liked or commented on photos of people they deemed to be more attractive than themselves.

-        “The results showed that these young adult women felt more dissatisfied with their bodies,” says Mills. “They felt worse about their own appearance after looking at social media pages of someone that they perceived to be more attractive than them. Even if they felt bad about themselves before they came into the study, on average, they still felt worse after completing the task.”

-       The research included 118 female undergraduate students from diverse ethnic backgrounds. Participants reported their age, ethnicity, whether English was their first language and years of post-secondary education in an online questionnaire six weeks before the experiment. Each participant was given a questionnaire where they had to indicate using a specific scale how satisfied or dissatisfied, they were with their appearance or body image. They were then randomly assigned into one of two experimental conditions. One group were asked to log into Facebook and Instagram for a period of five or more minutes and find one peer that was the same age who they felt was more attractive than themselves. After looking at each photo, participants were asked to leave a comment of their choice. In the other group the control group participants were asked to do the same task except this time comment on a post of a family member whom they did not think was more attractive than themselves. The data showed that participants view of their own appearance were not affected when interacting with their family members.

-       ‘I think in a lot of cases, young women who post to social media are hoping to get positive reinforcement for what they’re positing and the way in which women use social media is more appearance based than it is for men’

-       Mills said particularly in this age group 18-mid 20s appearance is very important, and women care a great feal about how they are perceived by other people. They are also most likely to use social media.

-       ‘when we compare ourselves to other people, that has the potential to affect the valuation of ourselves’ says Mills We really need to educate young people on how social media uses could be making them feel about themselves and how this could even be linked to stringent dieting, eating disorder or excessive exercise. There are people who may be triggered by social media and who are especially vulnerable’’

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TORONTO, November 15, 2018 − Young women who actively engage with social media images of friends who they think are more attractive than themselves report feeling worse about their own appearance afterward, a York University study shows.

It's no secret that social media can blur the lines on what's real and what's fantasy, but new research at York's Faculty of Health now shows how young women interact with images online can affect how they feel about their own bodies.

The research entitled "The effects of active social media engagement with peers on body image in young women" appears in the journal The study was conducted by Jennifer Mills, associate professor in the Department of Psychology and Jacqueline Hogue, a PhD student in the department's Clinical Program. It focused on young women, aged 18 to 27 years old, who liked or commented on photos of people they deemed to be more attractive than themselves.

"The results showed that these young adult women felt more dissatisfied with their bodies," says Mills. "They felt worse about their own appearance after looking at social media pages of someone that they perceived to be more attractive than them. Even if they felt bad about themselves before they came into the study, on average, they still felt worse after completing the task."

The research included 118 female undergraduate students from diverse ethnic backgrounds. Participants reported their age, ethnicity, whether English was their first language, and years of post-secondary education in an online questionnaire six weeks before the experiment. Each participant was given a consent form and questionnaire where they had to indicate using a specific scale how satisfied or dissatisfied they were with their appearance or body image.

Participants were then randomly assigned into one of two experimental conditions. One group of participants were asked to log into Facebook and Instagram for a period of five or more minutes and find one peer that was the same age who they felt was more attractive than themselves. After looking at the photos, each participant was asked to leave a comment of their choice. In the control group, participants were asked to do the same task except this time comment on a post of a family member whom they did not think was more attractive than themselves. The data showed that participants' views of their own appearance were not affected when interacting with their family members.

"I think in a lot of cases, young women who post to social media are hoping to get positive reinforcement for what they're posting and the way in which women use social media is more appearance-based than it is for men."

Mills said particularly in this age group, 18 to mid-20's, appearance is very important, and women care a great deal about how they are perceived by other people. They are also most likely to use social media.

"When we compare ourselves to other people, that has the potential to affect the valuation of ourselves," says Mills. We really need to educate young people on how social media use could be making them feel about themselves and how this could even be linked to stringent dieting, eating disorders or excessive exercise. There are people who may be triggered by social media and who are especially vulnerable."
York University York U's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. Media Contact: champions new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-disciplinary programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. York students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world's most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. York U is an internationally recognized research university - our 11 faculties and 25 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, York is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni.
Anjum Nayyar, York University Media Relations, 416-736-2100 ext. 44543, anayyar@yorku.ca

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Study: Social media is affecting the way we view our bodies − and not in a good way | News@York

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TORONTO, November 15, 2018 − Young women who actively engage with social media images of friends who they think are more attractive than themselves report feeling worse about their own appearance afterward, a York University study shows.

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Study: Social media affects the way we view our bodies 

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Study: Social media affects the way we view our bodies 

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November 2018

Interested how women feel about themselves when they actively engage on social media (looking at other peoples photos, commenting and engaging)
Results show after looking at and commenting on social media pages of an 'attractive peer' (Someone who they believe is better looking), that affected how they felt about themselves leading to body dissatisfaction.
When engaging with family members on social media they felt no difference.

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BBC News: Instagram 'Worst for young mental health'

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BBC News: Instagram 'Worst for young mental health'

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May 2017

Poll asked 1,489 people aged 14-24 to score popular apps on issues such as anxiety, depression, loneliness, bullying and body image. Instagram said keeping the platform a safe and supportive place for young people was top priority.
90% of young people  use social media - more than any other age group - so they are particularly vulnerable to its effects, although it is not clear what these are on current evidence.

'Wild West'
In the lights of findings of Instagram and Snapchat ranking as one of the worst mental health and well-being (both platforms being image focused it appears they may be driving feeling so inadequacy and anxiety in young people)

Public health experts are calling for social media platforms to introduce a series of hacks and measures to help tackle mental health including
-> Pop ups warning people the they have used social media for a long period of time (supported by 70% of young people surveyed)
-> Social media platforms identifying users with mental health problems and 'discreetly signposting places they can get support'
-> Platform highlighting when photos have been digitally manipulated for examples, fashion brands, celebs, and other advertising organisations could sign up to a voluntary code allowing a small icon to be displayed on digitally altered photos.

The report also recommends that NHS England comes u with a vetting scheme for health and well-being information so young people are better able to judge whether information is trustworthy.

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Instagram is rated as the worst social media platform when it comes to its impact on young people's mental health, a UK snapshot survey suggests.

The poll asked 1,479 people aged 14-24 to score popular apps on issues such as anxiety, depression, loneliness, bullying and body image.

Instagram said keeping the platform a safe and supportive place for young people was a top priority.

Mental health charities urged companies to act to increase users' safety.

'Inadequacy and anxiety'

The Royal Society for Public Health study says social platforms should flag up heavy social media use and identify users with mental health issues.

Instagram says it provides tools and information on how to cope with bullying and warns users before they view certain content.

The RSPH report says that "social media may be fuelling a mental health crisis" in young people.

However, it can also be used as a tool for good, the report said. Instagram, for example, was found to have a positive effect on self-expression and self-identity.

About 90% of young people use social media - more than any other age group - so they are particularly vulnerable to its effects, although it is not clear what these are on current evidence.

'Deep depressive episode'

Isla is in her early 20s. She got hooked on social media as a teenager when going through a difficult time in her life.

"The online communities made me feel included and that I was worthwhile.

"However, I soon began to neglect 'real life' friendships and constantly spent all my time online talking to my friends there.

"I fell into a deep depressive episode aged 16, which lasted for months and was utterly horrible.

"During this time social media made me feel worse, as I would constantly compare myself to other people and make myself feel bad.

"When I was 19, I had another bad depressive episode. I'd go on social media, see all my friends doing things and hate myself for not being able to do them, or feel bad that I wasn't as good a person as them."

Social media has also been a positive in Isla's life.

"I have blogged a lot about mental health and I'm quite open about it and have good conversations with people about it.

"I find it gives me a platform to talk and talking with people is something I find imperative to my own health.

"The online friends I made five or six years ago I'm still friends with to this day and have met many of them in person."

The online survey asked participants a series of questions about whether YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and Twitter had an impact on their health and well-being.

Participants were asked to score each platform on 14 health and well-being issues.

Based on these ratings, YouTube was considered to have the most positive impact on mental health, followed by Twitter and then Facebook.

Snapchat and Instagram were given the lowest scores overall.

'Wild West'

Shirley Cramer, chief executive of the RSPH, said: "It is interesting to see Instagram and Snapchat ranking as the worst for mental health and well-being - both platforms are very image-focused and it appears they may be driving feelings of inadequacy and anxiety in young people."

In light of the findings, public health experts are calling for social media platforms to introduce a series of checks and measures to help tackle mental health, including:

Pop-ups warning people that they have used social media for a long time (supported by 70% of young people surveyed)

Social media platforms identifying users with mental health problems and "discreetly signposting places they can get support"

Platforms highlighting when photos have been digitally manipulated - for example, fashion brands, celebrities and other advertising organisations could sign up to a voluntary code, allowing a small icon to be displayed on digitally altered photos

The report also recommends that NHS England comes up with a vetting scheme for health and well-being information so young people are better able to judge whether information is trustworthy.

Ms Cramer added: "As the evidence grows that there may be potential harms from heavy use of social media, and as we upgrade the status of mental health within society, it is important that we have checks and balances in place to make social media less of a 'wild West' when it comes to young people's mental health and well-being."

Tom Madders, from mental health charity YoungMinds, said the recommendations could help many young people.

"Increasing safety within social media platforms is an important step and one we urge Instagram and other sites to act upon.

"But it's also important to recognise that simply 'protecting' young people from particular content types can never be the whole solution."

He said young people needed to understand the risks of how they behaved online and should be taught how to respond to "harmful content that slips through filters".

Michelle Napchan, Instagram head of policy, said: "Keeping Instagram a safe and supportive place, where people feel comfortable expressing themselves, is our top priority - particularly when it comes to young people.

"Every day people from all over the world use Instagram to share their own mental health journey and get support from the community. For those struggling with mental health issues, we want them to be able to access support on Instagram when and where they need it.

"That's why we work in partnership with experts to give people the tools and information they need while using the app, including how to report content, get support for a friend they are worried about or directly contact an expert to ask for advice on an issue they may be struggling with."

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Instagram 'worst for young mental health'

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Instagram is rated as the worst social media platform when it comes to its impact on young people's mental health, a UK snapshot survey suggests. The poll asked 1,479 people aged 14-24 to score popular apps on issues such as anxiety, depression, loneliness, bullying and body image.

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Concern over screen-addicted primary pupils 

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Concern over screen-addicted primary pupils 

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June 2022

-> Concerns over children spending more time ‘than ever before’ on screens were raised by Ofcom during the pandemic

-> Sussex headteacher Sophie Gosden, who has seen pupils’ anxiety rise said some were sleeping with phones under their pillow.

-> The government has stated they are providing support to school

-> The Ofcom report, released in August 2020, described how lockdown restrictions left a space in children’s lives which they filled with social media, gaming and watching content.
--> Ms Gosden ‘we’ve had some children in year 5 and 6 that have slept with their mobile phones under their pillow because they are frightened of missing out on notifications and theyd wake up in the morning and feel stressed out because they had 62 notifications that they’d feel they’d need to reply’.

‘NASTY CONTENT’

Luke Savage, from NSPCC’s child safety online team said, ‘We know a huge number of children are being bullied online, or finding concerning or nasty content, often that they’re not even searching for, that they’re stumbling across – and the statistics around all of these issues point to the fact that it’s happening more and more’

The government is also rolling out training to senior mental health leads in every state school and college by 2025,. The spokeswomen added

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Luke Savage, from the NSPCC's Child Safety Online team, said: "We know a huge number of children are being bullied online, or finding concerning or nasty content, often that they're not even searching for, that they're stumbling across - and the statistics around all of these issues point to the fact that it's happening more and more."

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Sussex school teacher's concern over screen-addicted pupils

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Luke Savage, from the NSPCC's Child Safety Online team, said: "We know a huge number of children are being bullied online, or finding concerning or nasty content, often that they're not even searching for, that they're stumbling across - and the statistics around all of these issues point to the fact that it's happening more and more."

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Dramatically changed over the last two years since ditching the filler. She showcased the transformation as she shared a photo of herself.

Molly-Mae decided to adopt a more natural look, 'I feel like I still definitely going through the process of trying to make everything as natural as I possibly can'.

'I made that many mistakes when I was younger I', genuinely still trying to correct them now. That's how far I took it a few years back - its not just a dew appointments to correct that level of mistakes I made'.

Molly-Mae said 'I'm scared for the children that are growing up now. at the age of 18, I felt that I needed to do that'.

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Molly-Mae Hague showcases dramatic physical transformation as she shares photos taken two years apart after dissolving her fillers

Molly-Mae Hague has revealed how her face has dramatically changed over the last two years since she ditched her fillers.

The former Love Island star, 22, took to her Instagram Stories to showcase the transformation as she shared a photo of herself taken at Winter Wonderland in 2019.

The influencer followed it up with a photo taken at the festive event this year after she has had her lip and facial fillers dissolved for a more natural look.

'Tap to age me two years...' she wrote alongside the first photo where she wrapped up in a brown woolly jacket while enjoying a box of Churros.

In the second snap, Molly-Mae had more dramatically arched eyebrows while she wore the same jacket along with a white turtle neck top and dark grey jeans.

Also enjoying Churros in the recent snap, the star styled her locks into an updo and completed her outfit with black boots.

Molly-Mae has documented her decision to adopt a more natural look, sharing videos explaining the move.

She said: 'I feel like I'm still definitely going through the process of trying to make everything as natural as I possibly can.

'I made that many mistakes when I was younger I'm genuinely still trying to correct them now.

'That's how far I took it a few years back - it's not just a few appointments to correct that level of mistakes I made.'

The social media star also revealed that she only 'randomly' had her fillers dissolved, because she had originally only planned to have laser hair removal.

She said that on top of the hair removal procedure, she had 'also booked in for a consultation to talk about getting the rest of the filler I feel is still in my face dissolved, and after I decided to just go ahead and get it done today'.

Molly-Mae revealed the results of another filler-dissolving procedure back in October 2020 in a YouTube video.

At the start of the video, the reality star showed fans what her lips looked like before the dissolving as she admitted she was 'really nervous' to head to Leeds for the procedure.

Molly-Mae said: 'I remember my lips before filler, there was nothing there. I literally had no lips!

'Do you notice how unnatural, see how much filler, they feel really hard. It's just time they went!

Molly-Mae revealed she had around a total of 5ml of filler in her lips and the last time she had been topped up was back in 2019.

Showing the dissolving process being done, the reality star admitted the surgeon had to use a 'record level amount' of dissolver.

Last year, Molly-Mae admitted she regrets getting filler at the tender age of 18, joking it left her looking like she had 'jowls'.

In another YouTube video, Molly-Mae said: 'I'm so scared for the children that are growing up now. At the age of 18, I felt that I needed to do that.

'For kids growing up now, they're going to think it's the norm.'

Molly-Mae revealed she was cruelly taunted by online trolls about the shape of her jaw, joking it looks like she had 'jowls' when she now sees old pictures of herself.

'In the long run it makes you look worse. I was trying to sharpen this area here', she said, gesturing to her chin.

'What it did was make it look bigger. It looked like I had jowls. I had 'square head', 'blockhead'.

'People called me Quagmire from [Family Guy]. The worst one is that I look like an X-Box controller!'

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Molly-Mae Hague showcases transformation after dissolving fillers

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Molly-Mae Hague has revealed how her face has dramatically changed over the last two years since she ditched her fillers. The former Love Island star, 22, took to her Instagram Stories to showcase the transformation as she shared a photo of herself taken at Winter Wonderland in 2019.

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A TREND is a change or development towards something new or different.
This is a growing trend.

To set a TREND means to do something that becomes accepted or fashionable, and that a lot of other people copy

If something such as a topic or name is TRENDING a lot of people are discussing or mentioning it on social media

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Christina Criddle (August 2020)

DIY beauty trends trending could be dangerous and harmful, healthcare groups have warned. Known as beauty hacks.

e.g. Bleach to whiten teeth, removing moles at home and using eyelash glue to make lips appear larger.

Dr Anjali Math spokesperson for the British Association of Dermatologists said, 'It is important to remind people that social media should not be used as a primary source for dermatology issues'.
"When it comes to skin, it can lead to unnecessary fear or panic where it is not needed, wasting of resources such as money on products unable to treat medical problems, potential delay in treatment, as well as potentially worsening one's psychological health.

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DIY beauty trends popular on TikTok could be dangerous and harmful, healthcare groups have warned.

Examples include applying bleach to whiten teeth, removing moles at home, and using eyelash glue to make lips appear larger, BBC News has discovered.

When these videos went viral, they encouraged others to copy the so-called "beauty hacks", which could cause permanent harm, the groups warned.

TikTok told BBC News the videos did not violate its community guidelines.

However, the British Association of Dermatologists, the British Dental Association and the British Skin Foundation - who viewed the videos - have today issued warnings about copying these treatments on social media.

"It is important to remind people that social media should not be used as a primary source for dermatology issues," Dr Anjali Mahto spokesperson for the British Association of Dermatologists said.

"When it comes to skin, it can lead to unnecessary fear or panic where it is not needed, wasting of resources such as money on products unable to treat medical problems, potential delay in treatment, as well as potentially worsening one's psychological health.

A government spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said it was "concerned by reports of dangerous and misleading cosmetic beauty 'hacks' circulating on social media."

"Scraping off"

Some videos the BBC saw promote using chemical or physical ways to remove moles. Experts advise all moles be checked by a professional before removal.

"There is no 'safe' way to remove a mole at home," Dr Ross Perry, NHS GP and medical director of Cosmedics skin clinics, said.

"This needs to be done by a qualified doctor or dermatologist who is trained and knows what they are doing.

"Using chemicals or attempting to 'scrape' off a mole could lead to infections, bleeding, scarring and deformity of the area."

One peculiar method recommends applying eyelash glue to skin.

British Skin Foundation spokesman consultant dermatologist Dr Adil Sheraz said doing so to create a plumping effect could lead to scarring or permanent disfigurement.

"Eyelash glue contains cyanoacrylate which is known to be a contact allergen," he said.

"Applying a potentially allergenic chemical to lips could result in a severe reaction."

Meanwhile, some cosmetic surgeons told BBC News they had also seen social-media videos of at-home Botox or lip-filler kits.

Applying bleach

TikTok videos with the hashtag "teethwhitening" have amassed about 284 million views. Some recommend applying bleach to teeth, to avoid "expensive" over-the-counter treatments.

And anything above this level should supplied, or used, under the supervision of a dentist.

Household bleaches may also contain other bleaching compounds.

The British Dental Association said administering the wrong products at home could cause "permanent damage."

"The BDA is concerned about the DIY trend to whiten teeth with levels of hydrogen peroxide that are higher than that permitted in over-the-counter products," a representative said.

"Using higher concentrations unsupervised, as some videos advocate, raises the risk of damage to teeth and gums, including burns to the mouth, tooth and gum sensitivity, as well as irritated or inflamed gums."

'Skin cancers'

One viral video copied throughout TikTok suggests a way of applying sun cream to create a contour affect.

"Skin cancers affect all areas of the face," Dr Vishal Madan, of Stratum Dermatology Clinics, said.

"Using sunscreen on certain areas and missing others to create a pattern may be trendy - but the UV damage to the tanned area will invariably increase the risk of skin cancers in that site.

"Not only that, repeated exposure to UV light in these areas will make them age prematurely, so, in time, the skin will appear mottled and uneven."

Some cosmetic-mask treatments promoted in TikTok videos could also be harmful, Adonia Medical Clinic founder and medical director Dr Ifeoma Ejikeme said.

"It is dangerous to put citrus fruits on to the skin and then go into the sun," she said.

"It can cause inflammation of the skin expressed in burning, redness and blisters."

The BBC shared these videos with medical experts and TikTok, but the firm said these videos did not break their rules.

"Keeping people on TikTok safe is a top priority," a representative added.

"Our community guidelines make clear that we will remove content promoting dangerous behaviour or activities that might lead to serious injury or physical harm.

"We are continuously evaluating our policies and processes to ensure we are doing everything we can to keep our users safe."

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Warning over 'dangerous' DIY beauty trends on TikTok

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DIY beauty trends popular on TikTok could be dangerous and harmful, healthcare groups have warned. Examples include applying bleach to whiten teeth, removing moles at home, and using eyelash glue to make lips appear larger, BBC News has discovered. When these videos went viral, they encouraged others to copy the so-called "beauty hacks", which could cause permanent harm, the groups warned.

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Social comparison theory LEON FESTINGER 

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Social comparison theory LEON FESTINGER 

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Hypotheses
We have the drive to assess our opinions and abilities, when we are not able to evaluate our opinions and abilities, we tend to compare ourselves with others.
Festinger's social comparison theory proposed that people who compare themselves with those who are similar to them typically produce accurate appraisals of their capabilities and beliefs. He further suggested that comparing with others results in weights of uniformity.

UPWARD AND DOWNWARD COMPARISON

UPWARD COMPARISON occurs when someone compares himself with others who are less capable.

DOWNWARD COMPARISON occurs when someone compares themselves with others who are less capable.

A highly motivated person tends to engage in upward comparison , and usually assumes himself as better or equal to the 'best person'
When someone is unhappy or unmotivated he is usually engages in downward comparison to feel better about himself.

Studies have shown that if people are given the option they usually choose upward comparison instead of downward.

THE TWO TYPES OF DOWNWARD COMPARISON
A journal article published in 1981, THOMAS WILLS further divided downward comparison into two subtypes
- PASSIVE DOWNWARD comparison (comparing to someone who is less capable in order to make himself feel better)
- ACTIVE DOWNWARD comparison (when someone compares themselves to other by demeaning or causing harm. This person generates a situation in which the targets are worse off than him, therefore giving him the change to make a downward comparison)

SELF EVALUATION AND ENHANCEMENT
Motivation plays a role in the social comparison theory and is manifested by self-evaluation and self enhancement

Self-evaluation occurs when someone looks for positive traits in himself based on the best person, he compares himself with

Self enhancement, on the other hand occurs when someone questions which aspects of himself need to be improved in order to reach the level of goodness of the person he is comparing himself to.

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Leon Festinger developed the Social Comparison Theory and published his first journal on the theory in the Journal of Human Relations in 1954.

Hypotheses of the Social Comparison Theory

According to the social comparison theory, we have the drive to assess our opinions and abilities. When we can’t evaluate our opinions and abilities, we tend to compare ourselves with others.

For example, someone in a writing class wants to know how good a writer he is. He may compare his writing to classmates who get a higher grade and also to classmates who get a lower grade. Based on these comparisons, he establishes a benchmark and gets an idea of the level of his writing skills.

Festinger’s social comparison theory proposed that people who compare themselves with those who are similar to them typically produce accurate appraisals of their capabilities and beliefs.

For example, comparing the writing ability of two people in the same age group is more sensible than comparing the writing ability of an adult to a child.

In addition, the inclination to equate oneself with other people diminishes as the difference between their beliefs and capabilities become more significant.

Festinger further suggested that comparing oneself with others can result in weights of uniformity. There is an inclination to lessen the differences between the evaluator and comparison group by persuading others, or by altering their personal beliefs to achieve uniformity.

Upward and Downward Comparisons

According to the social comparison theory, there are two types of comparison:

Upward comparison

Downward comparison

An upward comparison occurs when someone compares himself with others who are more capable than him.

A downward comparison occurs when someone compares himself with others who are less capable than him.

A highly motivated person tends to engage in upward comparisons, and usually assumes himself as better or equal to the “best person”.

On the other hand, when someone is unhappy or is unmotivated, he usually engages in downward comparisons in order to feel better about himself.

Studies have shown that if given a chance, people usually choose to make upward comparisons instead of downward ones.

Two Types of Downward Comparison

In a journal article published in 1981, Thomas Wills further divided downward comparison into two subtypes:

passive downward comparison

active downward comparison

Passive downward comparison occurs when someone compares himself to someone who is less capable in order to make himself feel better.

For example, a student who gets C in Math may compare himself to someone who gets a D. After that, he may convince himself that getting a C is not that bad.

Active downward comparison occurs when someone compares himself to others by demeaning or causing harm to them. By derogating the targets or causing harm to them, this person generates a situation in which the targets are worse off than him, therefore giving him the chance to make a downward comparison.

For example, Student A who is not good in Math may steal Student B’s Math notes, causing Student B not be able to study for the Math exam. Student A gets a C on the Math exam, while Student B gets an D. Then Student A feels that he’s better in Math than Student B.

Self-evaluation and self-enhancement

Motivation plays a role in the social comparison theory and is manifested by self-evaluation and self-enhancement.

Self-evaluation occurs when someone looks for positive traits in himself based on the best person he compares himself with.

Self-enhancement, on the other hand, occurs when someone questions which aspects of himself need to be improved in order to reach the level of goodness of the person he is comparing himself to.

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Leon Festinger’s Social Comparison Theory - The Psychology Notes Headquarters

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Festinger was the first psychologist to use the term “Social Comparison,” although it must be made clear that the general idea didn’t come from him alone.

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As individual we constantly evaluate ourselves, and others in domino like attractiveness, wealth, intelligence and success
-> According to some studies, as much a 10% of our thoughts involve comparison of some kind
-> The theory is the idea that individuals determine their own social and personal worth based on how they stack up against others.

Later research showed that people who regularly compare themselves to others may find motivation to improve, but also experience feelings of deep dissatisfaction, guilt or remorse and engage in destructive behaviour like lying or disordered eating.

THE BENEFITS OF COMPARISON
-       When we compare ourselves to others as a way of measuring their personal development or to motivate themselves to improve and in the process, develop a more positive self image, comparisons can be beneficial.

-       To avoid the pitfalls of negative comparison, in the large part how we react to comparisons depends on who we compare ourselves to, when we just want to feel better about ourselves, we tend to engage in comparisons to people worse off than we are. Although this can become an unhealthy habit, when we want to improve, though. We may compare ourselves to people roughly similar to us but higher achieving in one trait or another.

THE DANGERS OF COMPARISON
-       Theodore Roosevelt called comparison ‘the thief of joy’

-       Social comparison can motivate people to improve, but it can also promote judgemental, biased, and overly competitive or superior attitudes.

-       Most people have social skills and impulse control to keep their standards for social comparison to themselves, and not to act on any envy or resentment spurred by comparison making. But their true feelings may manifest in other ways

WHY CAN COMPARISON MAKE PEOPLE FEEL BAD
-       Comparisons are likelier to make us feel bad when we make the error of only comparing ourselves to paragons of certain traits.

-       For example many people believe they have a less active social life than others, but when making such comparisons, people tend to compare themselves only to the most social people they know. Understanding the bias can help us make more realistic and motivating comparisons.

IS SOCIAL MEDIA HARMFUL TO SELF ESTEEM?-       Constantly checking social media feeds full of images from parties and other aspirational events can diminish self-esteem and contribute to depression. Some studies have found that such risks primary affect those high in trait of neuroticism, and other suggest that social media use can reinforce self-esteem,

COMPARISON AND BIAS

-       Many people fall into the trap of positional bias, comparing ‘up’ more often than ‘down’ relative to their own standing. There is a fascination with celebrity culture and the prevalence of carefully manicured social media feeds only exacerbates the effect by exposing people to an endless stream of others seemingly perfect image, homes, jobs, skills and families.

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People constantly evaluate themselves, and others, in domains like attractiveness, wealth, intelligence, and success. According to some studies, as much as 10 percent of our thoughts involve comparisons of some kind. Social comparison theory is the idea that individuals determine their own social and personal worth based on how they stack up against others. The theory was developed in 1954 by psychologist Leon Festinger. Later research has shown that people who regularly compare themselves to others may find motivation to improve, but may also experience feelings of deep dissatisfaction, guilt, or remorse, and engage in destructive behaviors like lying or disordered eating.

The Benefits of Comparison

When individuals compare themselves to others as a way of measuring their personal development or to motivate themselves to improve and, in the process, develop a more positive self-image, comparisons can be beneficial. It takes discipline, however, to avoid the pitfalls of negative comparison. In large part, how we react to comparisons depends on who we compare ourselves to: When we just want to feel better about ourselves, we tend to engage in comparisons to people worse off than we are, although this can become an unhealthy habit. When we want to improve, though, we may compare ourselves to people roughly similar to us but higher achieving in one trait or another.

Envy is usually an unpleasant feeling that can lead to brooding, resentment, or even violence. Some psychologists, however, have suggested that people can experience "benign" envy, in which they use envious feelings as motivation to improve themselves. Benign envy could lead someone, for example, to try to emulate the best qualities of a person who has what they want.

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The Dangers of Comparison

Theodore Roosevelt called comparison "the thief of joy," and he may have been right. Social comparison can motivate people to improve, but it can also promote judgmental, biased, and overly competitive or superior attitudes. Most people have the social skills and impulse control to keep their standards for social comparison to themselves, and not to act on any envy or resentment spurred by comparison-making. But their true feelings may manifest in other ways.

Comparisons are likelier to make us feel bad when we make the error of only comparing ourselves to paragons of certain traits. For example, many people believe they have a less active social life than others. But when making such comparisons, people tend to compare themselves only to the most social people they know. Understanding this bias can help us make more realistic and motivating comparisons.

Constantly checking social-media feeds full of images from parties, concerts, or other aspirational events can diminish self-esteem and contribute to depression. But some studies have found that such risks primarily affect those high in the trait of neuroticism, and others suggest that social-media use can reinforce self-esteem; for example, when people review their own images of good times with friends.

Comparison and Bias

Many people fall into the trap of positional bias, comparing "up" more often than "down" relative to their own standing. A fascination with celebrity culture and the prevalence of carefully-manicured social-media feeds only exacerbates the effect by exposing people to an endless stream of others' seemingly perfect images, homes, jobs, skills, and families.

Two-thirds of Americans believe their intelligence is above average, but men are much more likely to inflate themselves than women; in surveys, more than 70 percent of men state that they are smarter than average, compared to about 60 percent of women, and they are much more likely to "strongly agree" that they are smarter than average.

How can you resist the temptation to zero in on where you stand compared to others?

Comparing ourselves to others is a natural tendency that can lead to discouragement.

False eyelashes are popular. But do they make everyone more attractive?

Do you compare yourself to others? Beware of these traps when you engage in social comparisons.

Upward social comparisons have been linked to body image concerns. Women with positive body image cite exercise as a means to increase their well-being.

Upward social comparisons have been linked to body image concerns. Women with positive body image cite exercise as a means to increase their well-being.

How can you resist the temptation to zero in on where you stand compared to others?

Comparing ourselves to others is a natural tendency that can lead to discouragement.

False eyelashes are popular. But do they make everyone more attractive?

Do you compare yourself to others? Beware of these traps when you engage in social comparisons.

Upward social comparisons have been linked to body image concerns. Women with positive body image cite exercise as a means to increase their well-being.

Upward social comparisons have been linked to body image concerns. Women with positive body image cite exercise as a means to increase their well-being.

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People constantly evaluate themselves, and others, in domains like attractiveness, wealth, intelligence, and success. According to some studies, as much as 10 percent of our thoughts involve comparisons of some kind. Social comparison theory is the idea that individuals determine their own social and personal worth based on how they stack up against others.

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Maslow's is a theory of motivation which states that five categories of human needs dictates an individual's behaviour.
Those needs are physiological needs, safety needs, love and belonging needs, esteem needs and self actualisation.

1. Physiological needs
2. Safety needs
3. Love and belonging needs
4. Esteem needs
5. Self actualisation needs

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Maslow's theory argues that the failure to met needs at various stages of the hierarchy could lead to poor health. Individuals who do not feel love or belonging may experience mental health issues.

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Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a theory that was proposed by psychologist Abraham Maslow in a 1943 paper titled A Theory of Human Motivation. The theory describes, in five stages, what he believed to be necessary for human subsistence and satisfaction.

The Five Stages

Maslow's hierarchy is intended to track growth and development in human beings, beginning with infants, who aim to have only their most basic needs met. Typically, people reach different stages of the hierarchy throughout life, and at different times they might experience a deficit in a certain stage. When this occurs, a person will often temporarily abandon pursuit of a higher stage in order to have the more fundamental needs met. However, not all adult humans reach the top of the hierarchy, and poverty, illness, and other factors can interfere with a person's development in Maslow's hierarchy.

People who have not had their needs met in one area might also have their needs from another stage sufficiently met. For example, a person in poor health who has little financial security may be part of a community, have an intimate partner, and maintain close relationships with family and friends. Thus, the person's safety needs are not adequately met, but community and belonging needs are. One might also have every fundamental need met but suddenly experience a threat to safety and shelter. In order to maintain this essential of survival, that person may then leave off pursuit of esteem or belonging needs until the threat to safety passes.

Maslow's hierarchy originally contained five stages:

1. Physiological needs: These are the needs necessary to maintain life: oxygen, food, and water. These basic needs are required by all animals and are the primary focus of infants.

2. Safety needs: When an individual's physiological needs are met, the focus typically shifts to safety needs, which may include health, freedom from war, and financial security.

3. Community and belonging: If safety and physiological needs are met, a person will focus on the need for a community and love. These needs are typically met by friends, family, and romantic partners.

4. Esteem: Esteem is necessary for self-actualization, and a person may work to achieve esteem once needs for love and a sense of belonging are met. Self-confidence and acceptance from others are important components of this need.

5. Self-actualization: Self-actualization is the ability to meet one's true potential, and the necessary components of self-actualization vary from person to person. A scientist may be self-actualized when able to complete research in a chosen field. A father might be self-actualized when able to competently care for his children.

Between esteem and self-actualization, Maslow later added cognitive and aesthetic needs, which refer to what he considered the needs of academics and artists, respectively.

Viktor Frankl, a prominent 20th century psychologist and the founder of logotherapy, later added self-transcendence as a final stage in Maslow's hierarchy, bringing the total number of stages to eight. This level concerns an individual's ability to experience spirituality and relate to the larger universe.

Maslow's Hierarchy and Mental Well-Being

Maslow argued that the failure to have needs met at various stages of the hierarchy could lead to illness, particularly psychiatric illness or mental health issues. Individuals whose physiological needs are not met may die or become extremely ill. When safety needs are not met, posttraumatic stress may occur. Individuals who do not feel love or belonging may experience depression or anxiety. Lack of esteem or the inability to self-actualize may also contribute to depression and anxiety.
References:

1. Huitt, W. (2007). Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved from http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/regsys/maslow.html

2. Martin, D., & Joomis, K. (2007). Building teachers: A constructivist approach to introducing education. Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth.

3. Maslow's Hierarchy. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://changingminds.org/explanations/needs/maslow.htm

Last Updated: 12-14-2015

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Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs - GoodTherapy.org Therapy Blog

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Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a theory that was proposed by psychologist Abraham Maslow in a 1943 paper titled A Theory of Human Motivation. The theory describes, in five stages, what he believed to be necessary for human subsistence and satisfaction. The Five Stages Maslow's hierarchy is intended to track growth and development in human ...

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If needs of individual needs are not met then they are unable to reach self actualisation then they will not be fulfilled.

Esteem needs of individual (Self-esteem, confidence, achievement, respect of others, respect by others).

Individuals needs who are constantly comparing themselves to others will not be fulfilled this is because they would be constantly trying to improve themselves. With individuals not being happy about there actual Selves this would lead to them not being satisfied and not reaching self actualisation.

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Retouched images can lead to anxiety and mood changes 

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Retouched images can lead to anxiety and mood changes 

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A study carried out in 2018 has revealed that women have reported high anxiety, lower moods and poor confidence within situations where they uploaded an unedited 'image'.

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#NOFILTER: Image Editing Apps & Mental Health – healthysocialmedia.org

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By Piera Ramljak and Joanne Goodman, University of Strathclyde psychology students

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Protecting mental health from using social media 

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Protecting mental health from using social media 

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Targeting increasingly younger social media users by app companies is becoming increasingly worrying, 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 10 boys aged 13-19, altering their faces or body shape due to body image concerns according to a UK wide surgery by the mental health foundation.

The briefing proposed the following six actions
1. Engage with the #EverydayLookism campaign

-> App Store and Google play to update their guidelines for developers to explicitly include 'mental health' in the range of harms that are unacceptable
-> For App Store and Google play store to make it mandatory that all body and face image editing apps are rated as PEGI 12/16 sonf 13+ respectively
-> Focus research on understanding the features of image editing apps that are most harmful to body satisfaction and mental health
-> Develop new social media literacy training
-> Complain to advertising standards authority if you see an advert in a magazine, telly or online that you think presents an unhealthy body image as aspirational

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#NOFILTER: Image Editing Apps & Mental Health – healthysocialmedia.org

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By Piera Ramljak and Joanne Goodman, University of Strathclyde psychology students

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Reverse Selfie: Social Media's Impact on Girls' Self-Esteem | Dove

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Social media plays a part in our lives, increasingly influencing the role in shaping our definition of BEAUTY.
DOVE is passionate about creating a world where beauty inspires confidence not anxiety.

The self esteem project is a global sponsor of women in the world and the exclusive sponsor of the new girl focused platform 'Generation Girl'.

#NoLikesNeeded is aimed at women motivating and encouraging girls to realise that the only 'LIKE" which counts is their own.

THE RESEARCH
-> 1 million UK girls suffer from low body confidence, with 2/3 admitting they feel prettier online than in real life
->  1 in 2 girls say they are using social networks ‘all the time’, across an average of 4 different networks and are increasingly considered as being ‘always on’
-> Average UK girl takes 12 minutes to prepare for a single 'selfie'
-> The number of girls who say social networks makes them feel worse about their appearance doubles between the ages of 13 to 18 - 30% agree at 13 years aged vs 60% at 18 years
-> Girls aged 18-23 years want three times more 'likes; on social media than girls aged 13-17 years

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Instagram now letting parents control their kids profile 

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Instagram now letting parents control their kids profile 

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Martyn Landi
Wednesday 15 June 2022

Introducing new parental supervision tool for accounts of teenagers within the UK
-> Allow them them to oversee their children profile, set daily limit use and see who they follow and who unfollows them

This was first launched in the US in March where the tools are now being expanded into the UK and Ireland for the first time.

It works through parents sending an invitation to their teenagers to initial the supervision of their accounts, and once this has been accepted the parents will be able to set daily limits for how long their children can spend on the app and schedule breaks for specific times.

In addition parents will be able to view a dashboard showing their child's daily habits on the platform. It will automatically end when the child turns 18.

The rollout will coincide with a new 'nudges; feature being tested in the UK and Ireland, which will see a notification that encourages them to switch to a different topic on the platform if they are repeatedly looking at the same type of content on the apps explore tab.
-> they believe the nudges are effective for helping people - especially teens - to be more mindful on how they're using social media in the moment

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Parents will now be able to oversee their child’s Instagram profile (Credits: Getty)

Instagram is introducing new parental supervision tools for the accounts of teenagers in the UK.

The new options will allow parents to oversee their children’s profile, set daily use limits and see who they follow and who follows them.

First launched in the US in March, the tools are now being expanded to the UK and Ireland for the first time.

With the new features, parents will be able to send an invitation to their teenager to initiate the supervision of their account, and once this has been accepted the parent will be able to set daily limits for how long their child can spend on the app and schedule breaks for specific times.

The tools also enable parents to see who their child follows and is followed by, and get information when the teenager reports an account or post on the platform.

Youngsters can also invite a parent to supervise their account.

Instagram launched the tools in the US earlier this year and is now bringing them to the UK (Credits: Getty)

In addition, parents will be able to view a dashboard showing their child’s daily habits on the platform.

The parental supervision features automatically end when the child turns 18, Instagram confirmed.

The rollout will coincide with a new ‘nudges’ feature being tested in the UK and Ireland, which will see a notification that encourages them to switch to a different topic on the platform if they are repeatedly looking at the same type of content on the app’s Explore tab.

Instagram said it designed this feature because research has suggested ‘nudges can be effective for helping people – especially teens – be more mindful of how they’re using social media in the moment’.

MORE : An Instagram glitch is forcing people to re-watch Stories endlessly

MORE : Google, Facebook, Twitter must tackle deepfakes or risk fines from EU

Get your need-to-know latest news, feel-good stories, analysis and more

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Instagram will now let parents control their kid’s profile

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They can also set daily use limits and see who they follow and who follows them.

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New instagram parental control features labelled as 'gaslighting'

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New instagram parental control features labelled as 'gaslighting'

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Hamish Spence
June 15 2022

Technology Meta has introduced the new measures to its app in a bid to help families build positive online habits.

“Any features that help some young people to be safer, such as parental controls, are welcome. But they’re not enough and will not address the root cause of the issues. They can unfairly make parents seem responsible for Instagram’s own problems,” Reset Australia data policy director Rys Farthing said.

"given the money and power instagram has to create a safer platform, compared to the busy lives of parents, this just feels a bit like gaslighting. There's lots of things Instagram themselves should also be doing to take the burden off parents and protect children and young people whose parents might nor be able to use these tools".

META ANZ director of policy Mia Garlick said the company acknowledges it has a responsibility to protect young peoples safety.
"We recognise our responsibility to protect the safety of people who use Meta's services - especially the safety of young people. Their safety is of paramount importance to us, and we want them to have an experience that is both fun and safe, and we want to support their parents to assist them in doing this"
"Our intention for these resources is to strike the right balance for young people desire for some autonomy when using instagram but also allow for supervision in a way that supports conversations between parents and young people when it helpful".

Research from ReachOut, an Australian online mental health service for young people and their families
-> 36% of parents felt unsure about the role they could play in keeping their teens safe on social media
-> Data from June 2021 found that 30% of parents felt moderately to extremely concerned about their teens social media use
-> 40% said they needed more support to understand social media in order to talk to their children about it

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Major changes introduced to Instagram in Australia will "gaslight" users, a major digital advocacy group has warned.

A range of new parental control features on Instagram have been labelled "gaslighting" by a major digital advocacy group.

From Wednesday, Australian parents and guardians will be able to set time limits for their teenager on Instagram, see who they follow and who follows them back, and be notified when they make a report.

Either a parent or child (minimum age 13) can send an invitation to initiate the supervision tools, but both parties must accept for it to be activated.

Technology conglomerate Meta has introduced the new measures to its app in a bid to help families build positive online habits.

But Reset Australia said the changes just placed the burden of Instagram's failings onto parents.

"Any features that help some young people to be safer, such as parental controls, are welcome. But they're not enough and will not address the root cause of the issues. They can unfairly make parents seem responsible for Instagram's own problems," Reset Australia data policy director Rys Farthing said.

"Given the money and power Instagram has to create a safer platform, compared to the busy lives of parents, this just feels a bit like gaslighting. There's lots of things Instagram themselves should also be doing to take the burden off parents and protect children and young people whose parents might not be able to use these tools."

Under the new features, parents can see their teen's daily average time spent on Instagram and set subsequent restrictions to limit their use of the app.

These screen-time limits can be between 15 minutes and two hours, while breaks can also be scheduled.

Parents can also be notified when their child reports an account or piece of content, with the teenager having the option of leaving a note explaining why they made the report.

These supervision tools are available through the new Family Centre feature.

New features have also been introduced to encourage young people to switch to a different topic if they are repeatedly looking at the same content and to turn on "Take a Break" when they have been scrolling in Reel.

Meta ANZ director of policy Mia Garlick said the company acknowledged it had a responsibility to protect young people's safety.

"We recognise our responsibility to protect the safety of people who use Meta's services - especially the safety of young people. Their safety is of paramount importance to us, and we want them to have an experience that is both fun and safe, and we want to support their parents to assist them in doing this," she said

"Our intention for these resources is to strike the right balance for young people's desire for some autonomy when using Instagram but also allow for supervision in a way that supports conversations between parents and young people when it is helpful."

But Mr Farthing questioned whether parents had the time or social media understanding to use these services.

"These tools could be helpful for children and young people whose parents have the capacity, time and understanding to support them, but not all young people are that lucky," he said.

"There will be more than a few families in Australia where children themselves are the most Instagram savvy. Pushing responsibility for safety onto parents in these situations isn't enough.

"Perhaps Meta should address their addictive designs so that parents have to rely less on setting time limits. These sorts of controls can just push responsibility onto busy parents."

Research from ReachOut, an Australian online mental health service for young people and their families, found that 36 per cent of parents felt unsure about the role they could play in keeping their teens safe on social media.

The data, which was released last year in June, also found that 30 per cent of parents felt moderately to extremely concerned about their teens' social media use and 40 per cent said they needed more support to understand social media in order to talk to their child about it.

The parental control features are accompanied by an education hub in Family Centre that has online resources and information to help parents.

This has been developed in conjunction with organisations like ReachOut as well as Project Rockit, Orygen Youth Health and Butterfly.

Meta plans to introduce additional supervision tools and features in Family Centre in the next few months.

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Major changes introduced to Instagram in Australia will "gaslight" users, a major digital advocacy group has warned. A range of new parental control features on Instagram have been labelled "gaslighting" by a major digital advocacy group.

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Adobe plans to make Photoshop free to everyone 

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Adobe plans to make Photoshop free to everyone 

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Jacob Kastrenakes
14 June 2022

Adobe has statyed testing a free-to-use version of photoshop on the web and plant store open up to everyone as a way to introduce the app to more users.

It is currently being tested In Canada, where they can access the web through a free adobe account 'freemium', and plans to gate off some features that will be exclusive to paying subscribers but allow 'freemium' users to use the core functions.

HOWEVER is this not just allowing users easier access to edit and alter their images increasing photoshop happening

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Mental health: Altered images on social media 'detrimental' 

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Mental health: Altered images on social media 'detrimental' 

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Aimee Thomas
10 August 2021

Social media adverts must clearly state the use of manipulated images because of the risk to peoples mental health, campaigners have said.

Postgraduate student Lara Phillppart began a petition after social media caused her anxiety about her body. She feared people were 'under eating' in a bid to look like unachievable images, created with filters and it struck her something 'needs to be done'.
"Its so detrimental to mental health because you're looking at soemthing that isn't real, but your brain sees it as real" - Lara Phillppart

A study by Londons city University found 90% of women surveyed would edit pictures to reshape their nose or jaw, brighten their teeth or alter their waist before posting on social media.

"If we see ourselves not looking as perfect as an image online, then it can have a negative impact on young people's self-confidence and self-image".
she said a recent study showed 55% of people who were getting treatment to alter their looks asked for work that would make them look better in selfies
-> Psychologist Dr Nia Williams

"TOUGH' Laws
UK government said it will bring in 'tough' laws to force social media firms to protect users from content that could affect their health.
The advertising standers authority said there have been rules about social media filters 'for a long time'

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Social media adverts must clearly state the use of manipulated images because of the risk to people's mental health, campaigners have said.

Postgraduate student Lara Philippart, from Swansea, said she began a petition after social media caused her anxiety about her body.

The 24-year-old began researching the topic as part of a master's degree.

"I realised the extent of which people are affected by social media," she said.

She feared people were "under-eating" in a bid to look like unachievable images, created with filters, and it struck her something "needs to be done".

"It's so detrimental to mental health because you're looking at something that isn't real, but your brain sees it as real," she said.

It was announced in Norway last month a law would come into force to stop influencers posting modified photos without declaring what they have done.

A study by London's City University found 90% of women surveyed would edit pictures to reshape their nose or jaw, brighten their teeth or alter their waist before posting on social media.

Psychologist Dr Nia Williams said seeing edited images on social media could have a negative impact on mental health.

"These images are around us day and night now, and can cause us to compare ourselves to other people," she said.

"If we see ourselves not looking as perfect as an image online, then it can have a negative impact on young people's self-confidence and self-image".

She said a recent study showed 55% of people who were getting treatment to alter their looks asked for work that would make them look better in selfies.

Newyddion S4C has spoken to bosses of clinics offering non-surgical beauty treatment across Wales.

They said more young women have been asking for treatment like botox in recent years.

Jane Laferla, of Cardiff's Laferla Medical Cosmetics, said the number of young people asking to look like they do in edited selfies, or like someone else, had increased dramatically.

She said it had become worse during lockdown.

"It's a huge problem impacting the mental health of young people," she explained.

"I've had girls as young as 16, sometimes even younger, bringing in photos and asking for treatment to change facial features."

Ms Laferla added: "It's really sad. Adverts for aesthetic treatment on social media, such as the Kardashian look, are breeding insecurities and impacting on mental health. It can be toxic for vulnerable young people."

She claimed she was seeing more people "exhibiting signs of body dysmorphic disorder".

"Aesthetic treatments are not the answer, they need professional psychological support," she said.

Seren Taylor, of Hengoed, Caerphilly, said the pandemic had made social media more of a problem.

"Sometimes I spend seven to eight hours a day online, especially if I'm at home like we have been during the pandemic," the 19-year-old said.

"It can be very harmful to mental health if you see pictures that don't reflect everyday life every day."

In the long-term, she said this could make "you question your appearance more often".

Ms Taylor added: "With the filters that change your lips, and the size of your eyes and head, it makes young people question 'if this is the ideal, then what is beauty and how do I compare?'

"You just question yourself and this really does affect your mental health."

'Tough' laws

The UK government said it was bringing in "tough" laws to force social media firms to protect users from content that could affect their health.

A spokesman said: "We will also examine the role of advertising in disseminating harmful content. The results will be published later this year."

The Advertising Standards Authority said there have been rules about social media filters "for a long time".

A spokesman added: "Filters must not exaggerate the efficacy of a product, and we advise influencers and advertisers to avoid applying filters which are directly relevant to the product being advertised."

If you or someone you know has been affected by the issues raised in this article, you can find information on available support at BBC Action Line.

More on this story

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Mental health: Altered images on social media 'detrimental'

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Social media adverts must clearly state the use of manipulated images because of the risk to people's mental health, campaigners have said. Postgraduate student Lara Philippart, from Swansea, said she began a petition after social media caused her anxiety about her body. The 24-year-old began researching the topic as part of a master's degree.

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The (Mis)use of social media beauty filters when advertising cosmetic products 

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The (Mis)use of social media beauty filters when advertising cosmetic products 

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CAP NEWS
11 Feb 2021

Guidance was published well before beauty filters became available on social media, however the ASA recently applied its core principles to two rullings against ads from Skinny tan LTD and We Are Luxe LTD, both of which featured instagram stories by influencers who were promoting tanning products. in both cases the influencers featured has applied beauty filters which altered their skin tone and complexion, making their skin tone appear darker than it would have without the filters.

FULL DISCLOSURE
The use of filters in ads is not inherently problematic but it is likely to become an issue if a filter exaggerates the efficacy of the product being advertised and it will be advertisers responsibility to demonstrate that is not the case.

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Beauty filters are designed to enhance a person's appearance and are included as in-app features on social media, including on Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat. They are becoming increasingly popular and are often applied when sharing selfies to social networks. They have also found their way into social media advertising, and particularly in ads created by influencers who commonly use such filters in their content.

Pre- and post-production techniques enhancing or altering an image is by no means new to advertising and our guidance on the use of pre and post-production techniques in ads for cosmetics makes clear that, amongst other things, the re-touching of photographic images requires particular attention to avoid misleading consumers, and visual claims should not misleadingly exaggerate the effect the product is capable of achieving. The ASA's historic in this area have tended to focussed on the use of post-production techniques for cosmetic products in TV ads.

#NoFilter?

This guidance was published well before beauty filters became available on social media, however, the ASA recently applied its core principles to two rulings against ads from Skinny Tan Ltd and We Are Luxe Ltd, both of which featured Instagram stories by influencers who were promoting tanning products. In both cases, the influencers featured had applied beauty filters which altered their skin tone and complexion, making their skin tone appear darker than it would have without the filters. The ASA considered that, because the filters were directly relevant to the performance of the products being advertised, they were likely to have exaggerated the efficacy of the products and misled consumers materially.

Influencers and advertisers promoting beauty products, and indeed any other products, are therefore advised to avoid applying filters to photos or videos which are directly relevant to the product being advertised and which are likely to exaggerate the effect the product is capable of achieving.

Take control

Filters are usually applied at the time of creating the content, for example when taking a photo or recording a video, rather than applying filters to an existing image or video after it has been created. As such, it is unlikely that there will be 'before' material which could be retained by an advertiser to demonstrate the effect of the filter and show that it wasn't likely to mislead.

It is important to remember that the responsibility ultimately lies with the advertiser where the use of a filter is likely to mislead consumers about the efficacy of a product. Brands may, therefore, wish to clarify in their commercial agreements with influencers their responsibilities when marketing cosmetic products on social media, and advise them against the use of beauty filters if they are likely to exaggerate the efficacy of the advertised product.

Full disclosure

The use of filters in ads is not inherently problematic but is likely to become an issue if a filter exaggerates the efficacy of the product being advertised, and it will be the advertiser's responsibility to demonstrate that is not the case. It's obviously conceivable that an advertiser could create a filter which accurately reflects the efficacy of their product, but the onus would still be on the advertiser to hold evidence to show that any visual claims made are unlikely to mislead.

For further advice, see our AdviceOnline guidance . If you're unsure whether your own non-broadcast marketing of beauty products is along the right lines, our Copy Advice team are always happy to help.

More on

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Advertising Standards Authority | Committee of Advertising Practice

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The (mis)use of social media beauty filters when advertising cosmetic products

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Beauty filters are designed to enhance a person's appearance and are included as in-app features on social media, including on Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat. They are becoming increasingly popular and are often applied when sharing selfies to social networks.

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Kirsty Grant
6 July 2021

A new law in Norway is coming into force that will mean social media influencers can't post modified photos without declaring what they've done. As part of an effort to 'reduce body pressure' among young people.

The government website says the aim is to help reduce pressure in society due to 'idealised people in advertising'

"Among other things, a duty is introduced to mark retouched or otherwise manipulated advertising when this means that the person's body in the advertisements deviates from reality in terms of body shape, size and skin," it adds.

It will cover filters, like you might use on Snapchat, as well as digital alterations of things like body shape and size.

It affects anyone who is posting a paid promotion on social media - including many influencers, actors and singers.

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Influencers react to Norway photo edit law: ‘Welcome honesty’ or a ‘shortcut’?

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The rule on clearly labelling posts is part of an effort to “reduce body pressure” on young people.

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MP proposes law on labels for digitally-altered body images 

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MP proposes law on labels for digitally-altered body images 

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15 September 2020

MP Dr Luke Evans told MPs social media posts often create a 'digitally warped reality...that can never be achieved'.

If the law passed, the law may also force social media influencers to display a logo on paid-for-content.
He believed filters were creating an unrealistic and unachievable aspiration for young people.

Speaking in the House of Commons Dr Evans, a registered GP and MP for Hinckley & Bosworth, said: "With the click of a mouse you can have bigger biceps, with the swipe of a thumb you can have a slimmer waste."

-> the conservative politician mentioned reality TV celebrities Spencer Matthrws and Lauren Goodger, have spoken out about their own struggles with body image.

2017 France introduced a law requiring any commercial image that had been altered to make someone look thinner, to carry a warning.
The proposed legislation has received the backing of the girl guiding charity, which cited its own research that suggested around half of young women aged between 11 and 21 regularly use apps or filters to make photos of themselves look better online.

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Published

15 September 2020

Image source, Alamy

Image caption,
MP Dr Luke Evans said digitally-altered social media posts create a "warped reality... that can never be achieved"

Advertisers and publishers would be forced to display logos alerting people that digitally images have been altered, if a law gets passed.

MP Dr Luke Evans told MPs social media posts often create a "digitally warped reality... that can never be achieved".

If passed, the law may also force social media influencers to display a logo on paid-for content.

He said filters were "creating an unrealistic and unachievable aspiration" for young people.

Speaking in the House of Commons Dr Evans, a registered GP and MP for Hinckley & Bosworth, said: "With the click of a mouse you can have bigger biceps, with the swipe of a thumb you can have a slimmer waste."

In his speech, the Conservative politician mentioned reality TV celebrities Spencer Matthews and Lauren Goodger, who have spoken out about their own struggles with body image.

Goodger, who found fame on The Only Way Is Essex, has spoken about her anxiety about posting pictures of her body on social media, and Made In Chelsea's Spencer Matthews has admitted using steroids after feeling the need to "bulk up".

Dr Evans said 1.25 million people in the UK are thought to be living with either anorexia or bulimia.

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption,
Reality TV stars Spencer Matthews and Lauren Goodger have both discussed their issues with body image

If the Digitally Altered Body Images Bill is passed, it would require advertisers and publishers to display a logo whenever a person's face or body has been digitally enhanced.

When speaking about whether this could impact on social media influencers, he said: "This is a grey area [but] the industry is actively trying to define social influencers."

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption,
The proposed legislation has received backing

In 2017, France introduced a law requiring any commercial image that had been altered to make someone look thinner, to carry a warning.

The proposed legislation has received the backing of the Girlguiding charity, which cited its own research that suggests around half of young women aged between 11 and 21 regularly use apps or filters to make photos of themselves look better online.

The Digitally Altered Body Images Bill is due to be put forward in the House of Commons for a second reading on 16 October.

Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.

More on this story

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MP proposes law on labels for digitally-altered body images

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Dr Luke Evans says if images of celebrities and models are airbrushed they should by law be labelled.

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Social media influencers may soon have to label retouched photos under new UK Bill

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Social media influencers may soon have to label retouched photos under new UK Bill

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Joyce Li
January 14 2022

Following on from the changes which Norway made, making it illegal for social media influencers to post retouched photos without placing a disclaimer, the UK may follow in suit.

Its in attempt to combat body dysmorphia online. This came about after the NHS saw an increase by 41% of hospital admissions for anorexia, bulimia and eating disorders.

The new regulation for digitally altered body image bill, was proposed and requires greater transparency for brands and influencers.

There are concerns of how the law will be enforced. The law will focus on paid posts, ensuring digitally altered pictures on social media are not associated with ads, brand partnership or commercials.

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Following Norway's regulation to make it illegal for social media influencers to post a retouched photo without placing a disclaimer, the UK may just be following suit.

The UK has now put forward a new bill in an attempt to combat body dysmorphia online. This comes after the NHS saw an increase by 41% of hospital admissions for anorexia, bulimia and eating disorders amongst young people 17 and under. The new regulation, the Digitally Altered Body Image bill, was proposed earlier this month and calls for greater transparency from brands and influencers who Photoshop or FaceTune their images. Dr. Evans spoke at the House of Commons and said, "If someone has been paid to post a picture on social media which they have edited, or advertisers, broadcasters or publishers are making money from an edited photograph, they should be honest and upfront about it." This is not the first time that a bill of this nature has been proposed to the parliment.

There is still a concern of how this law will be enforced if it comes into play. Similar to Norway's law, the UK bill will focus on paid posts, ensuring that digitally-altered pictures on social media are not associated with ads, brand partnerships or commercials.

Today in Parliament I am introducing my #BodyImageBill, which calls for images featuring digitally altered bodies to be labelled, to help foster more honest and realistic representations of the way we look. (1/4) pic.twitter.com/SAlBFNRr6E

- Dr Luke Evans MP (@drlukeevans) January 12, 2022

In other tech news, the Apple iPhone 14 is rumored to be more expensive than iPhone 13.

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Social Media Influencers May Soon Have to Label Retouched Photos Under New UK Bill

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Following Norway's regulation to make it illegal for social media influencers to post a retouched photo without placing a disclaimer, the UK may just be following suit. The UK has now put forward a new bill in an attempt to combat body dysmorphia online.

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Online safety law introduced in parliament 

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Online safety law introduced in parliament 

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Department for digital, culture, media & sport and the Rt Hon Nadine Dorries MP
17 March 2022

Parliament to approve what types of 'legal but harmful' content platforms must tackle

The online safety bill makes a milestone in the fight for a new digital age which is safer for users and holds tech giants to account. This will help to protect children from harmful content such as pornography and limit peoples exposure to illegal content, while protecting freedom of speech.

It will require social media platforms, search engines and other apps and websites allowing people to post their own content to protect children, tackle illegal activity and uphold their stated terms and conditions.

The regulator Ofcom will have the power to fine companies failing to comply with the law up to ten percent of their annual global turnover, force them to improve their practices and block non complaint sites.

Digital Secretary Nadine Dorries said:

'The internet has transformed our lives for the better. It’s connected us and empowered us. But on the other side, tech firms haven’t been held to account when harm, abuse and criminal behaviour have run riot on their platforms. Instead they have been left to mark their own homework'

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Online Safety Bill has been be introduced in Parliament today

Parliament to approve what types of 'legal but harmful' content platforms must tackle

Internet users are one step closer to a safer online environment as the government's new world-leading online safety laws are brought before parliament today.

The Online Safety Bill marks a milestone in the fight for a new digital age which is safer for users and holds tech giants to account. It will protect children from harmful content such as pornography and limit people's exposure to illegal content, while protecting freedom of speech.

It will require social media platforms, search engines and other apps and websites allowing people to post their own content to protect children, tackle illegal activity and uphold their stated terms and conditions.

The regulator Ofcom will have the power to fine companies failing to comply with the laws up to ten per cent of their annual global turnover, force them to improve their practices and block non-compliant sites.

Today the government is announcing that executives whose companies fail to cooperate with Ofcom's information requests could now face prosecution or jail time within two months of the Bill becoming law, instead of two years as it was previously drafted.

A raft of other new offences have also been added to the Bill to make in-scope companies' senior managers criminally liable for destroying evidence, failing to attend or providing false information in interviews with Ofcom, and for obstructing the regulator when it enters company offices.

Digital Secretary Nadine Dorries said:

The internet has transformed our lives for the better. It's connected us and empowered us. But on the other side, tech firms haven't been held to account when harm, abuse and criminal behaviour have run riot on their platforms. Instead they have been left to mark their own homework.

We don't give it a second's thought when we buckle our seat belts to protect ourselves when driving. Given all the risks online, it's only sensible we ensure similar basic protections for the digital age. If we fail to act, we risk sacrificing the wellbeing and innocence of countless generations of children to the power of unchecked algorithms.

Since taking on the job I have listened to people in politics, wider society and industry and strengthened the Bill, so that we can achieve our central aim: to make the UK the safest place to go online.

In the UK, tech industries are blazing a trail in investment and innovation. The Bill is balanced and proportionate with exemptions for low-risk tech and non-tech businesses with an online presence. It aims to increase people's trust in technology, which will in turn support our ambition for the UK to be the best place for tech firms to grow.

The Bill will strengthen people's rights to express themselves freely online and ensure social media companies are not removing legal free speech. For the first time, users will have the right to appeal if they feel their post has been taken down unfairly.

It will also put requirements on social media firms to protect journalism and democratic political debate on their platforms. News content will be completely exempt from any regulation under the Bill.

And, in a further boost to freedom of expression online, another major improvement announced today will mean social media platforms will only be required to tackle 'legal but harmful' content, such as exposure to self-harm, harassment and eating disorders, set by the government and approved by Parliament.

Previously they would have had to consider whether additional content on their sites met the definition of legal but harmful material. This change removes any incentives or pressure for platforms to over-remove legal content or controversial comments and will clear up the grey area around what constitutes legal but harmful.

Ministers will also continue to consider how to ensure platforms do not remove content from recognised media outlets.

Minister of State for Security and Borders Damian Hinds said:

As a society and as individuals, the internet has broadened our horizons and given us new opportunities to connect globally. But alongside this, the most depraved criminals have been given fresh avenues to exploit vulnerable people and ruin lives, whether that be by stealing the innocence of children or destroying finances.

Our utmost priority is to protect children and ensure public safety. The trailblazing Online Safety Bill will ensure social media companies are finally held to account and are taking ownership of the massive effect they have on all of our lives. Fraudsters will have fewer places to hide and abusers will be ardently pursued to feel the full force of the law.

Bill introduction and changes over the last year

The Bill will be introduced in the Commons today. This is the first step in its passage through Parliament to become law and beginning a new era of accountability online. It follows a period in which the government has significantly strengthened the Bill since it was first published in draft in May 2021. Changes since the draft Bill include:

Dame Melanie Dawes, Ofcom Chief Executive, said:

Today marks an important step towards creating a safer life online for the UK's children and adults. Our research shows the need for rules that protect users from serious harm, but which also value the great things about being online, including freedom of expression. We're looking forward to starting the job.

Ian Russell, Molly Rose Foundation, said:

The Molly Rose Foundation and Molly's family urge Parliamentarians to deliver a safer internet for all, especially our young. The first reading of the Online Safety Bill in Parliament is another important step towards ending the damaging era of tech self-regulation. Increasingly, we are all reminded of the appalling consequences created by harmful online content.

Even nations and governments can struggle to protect themselves from the damaging use of digital technology, so we must do more to safeguard the lives of our young and vulnerable. It is time for the laws, regulations, and freedoms of our offline democracies to be reflected in the digital domain.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

Further improvements to the Bill confirmed today:
Criminal liability for senior managers
The Bill gives Ofcom powers to demand information and data from tech companies, including on the role of their algorithms in selecting and displaying content, so it can assess how they are shielding users from harm.

Ofcom will be able to enter companies' premises to access data and equipment, request interviews with company employees and require companies to undergo an external assessment of how they're keeping users safe.

The Bill was originally drafted with a power for senior managers of large online platforms to be held criminally liable for failing to ensure their company complies with Ofcom's information requests in an accurate and timely manner.

In the draft Bill, this power was deferred and so could not be used by Ofcom for at least two years after it became law. The Bill introduced today reduces the period to two months to strengthen penalties for wrongdoing from the outset.

Additional information-related offences have been added to the Bill to toughen the deterrent against companies and their senior managers providing false or incomplete information. They will apply to every company in scope of the Online Safety Bill. They are:

offences for companies in scope and/or employees who suppress, destroy or alter information requested by Ofcom;

offences for failing to comply with, obstructing or delaying Ofcom when exercising its powers of entry, audit and inspection, or providing false information;

offences for employees who fail to attend or provide false information at an interview.

Falling foul of these offences could lead to up to two years in imprisonment or a fine.

Ofcom must treat the information gathered from companies sensitively. For example, it will not be able to share or publish data without consent unless tightly defined exemptions apply, and it will have a responsibility to ensure its powers are used proportionately.
Changes to requirements on 'legal but harmful' content
Under the draft Bill, 'Category 1' companies - the largest online platforms with the widest reach including the most popular social media platforms - must address content harmful to adults that falls below the threshold of a criminal offence.

Category 1 companies will have a duty to carry risk assessments on the types of legal harms against adults which could arise on their services. They will have to set out clearly in terms of service how they will deal with such content and enforce these terms consistently. If companies intend to remove, limit or allow particular types of content they will have to say so.

The agreed categories of legal but harmful content will be set out in secondary legislation and subject to approval by both Houses of Parliament. Social media platforms will only be required to act on the priority legal harms set out in that secondary legislation, meaning decisions on what types of content are harmful are not delegated to private companies or at the whim of internet executives.

It will also remove the threat of social media firms being overzealous and removing legal content because it upsets or offends someone even if it is not prohibited by their terms and conditions. This will end situations such as the incident last year when TalkRadio was forced offline by YouTube for an "unspecified" violation and it was not clear on how it breached its terms and conditions.

The move will help uphold freedom of expression and ensure people remain able to have challenging and controversial discussions online.

The DCMS Secretary of State has the power to add more categories of priority legal but harmful content via secondary legislation should they emerge in the future. Companies will be required to report emerging harms to Ofcom.
Proactive technology
Platforms may need to use tools for content moderation, user profiling and behaviour identification to protect their users.

Additional provisions have been added to the Bill to allow Ofcom to set expectations for the use of these proactive technologies in codes of practice and force companies to use better and more effective tools, should this be necessary.

Companies will need to demonstrate they are using the right tools to address harms, they are transparent, and any technologies they develop meet standards of accuracy and effectiveness required by the regulator. Ofcom will not be able to recommend these tools are applied on private messaging or legal but harmful content.
Reporting child sexual abuse
A new requirement will mean companies must report child sexual exploitation and abuse content they detect on their platforms to the National Crime Agency.

The CSEA reporting requirement will replace the UK's existing voluntary reporting regime and reflects the Government's commitment to tackling this horrific crime.

Reports to the National Crime Agency will need to meet a set of clear standards to ensure law enforcement receives the high quality information it needs to safeguard children, pursue offenders and limit lifelong re-victimisation by preventing the ongoing recirculation of illegal content.

In-scope companies will need to demonstrate existing reporting obligations outside of the UK to be exempt from this requirement, which will avoid duplication of company's efforts.

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World-first online safety laws introduced in Parliament

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New measures include tougher and quicker criminal sanctions for tech bosses and new criminal offences for falsifying and destroying data

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Most popular social media sites (updated 2021)

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Most popular social media sites (updated 2021)

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26/08/2021

Understanding social media trends in the previous year and how SM can be the most effective digital marketing method available to your business in 2021.

Social media is by far the most popular service available on the internet. It can share information, spread brand awareness - it makes or breaks your business. If you're not utilising social media effectively, you're missing out on a whole new potential market of consumers. With a new year upon us, we look back at some of the biggest social media services to date and our predictions for the new year. It's important to look back in order to move forward. By reviewing what social networks were most popular, we can predict what social sites you should be using in 2021. We'll also be looking at how to effectively utilise your social media as a marketing tool online. As a full-service digital marketing agency, we're a big fan of social media and hope you will be too.

Benefits of Social Media Marketing (SMM)

Think about your typical day. When you get up for work, you check your socials. When you're at work, you check your socials (albeit it sneakily) and when you're at home, guess what? You check your socials. Everyone's daily routine revolves around checking social media at least once a day, and that's a market that your business cannot afford to miss. The most popular social networking sites are popular simply because of the sheer number of users on those apps.

Let's consider Facebook for a moment and all the data you input into it. Marital status, age, gender, location, interests etc. - they can all be targeted by social media marketing. Which means, if your company is looking to advertise directly to men between the ages of 18-24, living in London, you can use Facebook to target them. Paid promotions mean you're guaranteed to be seen on a specific users feed, potentially generating more traffic for your site and more business. Most social media platforms can be utilised with paid promotions - including Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Pros and Cons of SMM

Pros - The benefits of SMM cannot be disputed. Direct targeting to an audience and the vast audience that can be reached have been mentioned, but you can also build and establish your brand and brand loyalty. Not only is SMM cost-effective, but data from Facebook insights mean you can see if your strategy is working.

However, it's not perfect.

Cons - The drawbacks include having to monitor social media closely, making it very demanding and time-consuming. Whilst building brand loyalty and growing on social media is good if it's not improving your sales than sometimes it can be frustrating. It requires time, investment and patience.

Worldwide Social Media Users

Worldwide there an incredible number of users on each social media platform. Some you may not even have heard of...

2018

Facebook is still the dominant platform worldwide, along with Instagram and YouTube. However, Qzone is a Chinese social network, yet still has a high volume of users. If you're a national business, it may be worth looking to target some, if not all, of these platforms.

As for the UK, the proof is in the numbers. Social media statistics offer an insight into the millions of users on each social network, in the UK. Are you using all the social media sites you could be? Above is the graph of the top social media networks with their UK user numbers for 2018. And, below is an updated version for 2019.

As you can see, Facebook and YouTube remain as two of the most dominant social media platforms worldwide. But, what is different in 2019 is that WeChat and WhatsApp have started creeping up on the both of them.

2020 proved a huge year for social media usage growth with the total amount of global users surpassing the 3.8 billion mark. In fact, that's just under half of the world's entire population. Now, let's breakdown how many active users are on each platform.

Sources: Oberlo and Smart Insights

Facebook and YouTube continue to dominate the world's most-used social platform list. However, 2021 has seen Instagram overtake both WeChat and Facebook Messenger, making it the fourth most used social media platform in the world.

UK Social Media Users

The largest platform for users is Facebook, with over 32,000,000 users in the UK alone - worldwide, there are 1.65 billion. Closely followed by Twitter (20 million), YouTube and LinkedIn (19 million). Due to their compatibility, Instagram and Snapchat have considerably less than Twitter/LinkedIn - as they are mostly used and compatible on handheld devices (Instagram can be viewed via a web browser).

When it comes to social media users in the UK for 2019, the numbers have significantly increased since last year. There are now over 37 million users on social media, together with 40 million on Facebook.

Facebook - 40 million
Youtube - 37.1 million
Twitter - 13.6 million
Instagram - 24 million
Google + - shut down
Pinterest - 10,300,000
Snapchat - 16.95 million
Linkedin - 27 million
Tumblr - 9,000,000

Reddit - 6,600,000

The amount of social media users significantly increased since 2019. However, similar to last year's stats, Facebook continued to dominate the social media landscape in the UK. It remained the most used platform for both consumers and businesses in 2020.

Sources: Oberlo and Smart Insights and Sprout Social

For the first time, Facebook has not been recorded as the most-used social media platform in the UK. In 2021, YouTube has taken the crown with almost 80% of internet users having used it in 2021!

The total amount of social media users in the UK has grown to 53 million.
Source: https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2021-united-kingdom
What Social Media Sites are there?

Listed above are the Top 11 social media sites used in the UK, with the number of users listed beside. Networks like YouTube and Vimeo are geared towards video, uploading and sharing creations. Whilst Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat utilise images and shorter videos. LinkedIn focuses more on B2B (business to business) and sites like Tumblr are used mainly for blogging. Twitter, Google + and Facebook are shorter platforms for blogging but also are used to share videos and images onto user's feeds. Reddit is a forum site, used to discuss topics and submit web content (links, images, text posts etc.)

What is the most popular social networking site?

According to the data listed above, the most popular social media site is Facebook. With over 32 million users in the UK alone, it's one of the easiest platforms to manage and use. That's why you always get your mum actively sharing on it...

The Fastest Growing Social Media Network

If you've heard the phrase " TikTok " coming out of the mouths of the younger generation lately, it's no surprise.

TikTok isn't just the fastest growing social media network of 2020. It's one of the fastest growing social media networks of all time. It enables users to film and share short-form video content utilising a huge range of features.

It was launched back in 2017 by a Chinese company called ByteDance which has since been named as the world's most valuable start-up. The company absorbed the already highly popular music-focused app Musical.ly in 2018 that allowed them to snowball the platform's comical, lip-sync heavy content style and features.

Because Musical.ly's main social driver was music, this led to TikTok videos having a high concentration of dance videos. This progression quickly led to dance challenges, lip-sync challenges and general hashtag challenges becoming extremely popular on the platform, which largely contributed to its incredible growth over a short amount of time.

TikTok is now available in over 150 countries, has over 1 billion users and has been downloaded 2 billion times. If your business has a target audience segment of 16-30 year olds, then you really need to get on TikTok now rather than later. Here's why.

Worldwide, TikTok has over 800 million daily active users making it 9th in terms of popularity ahead of better known social media networks such as Snapchat. Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

When it comes to the amount of time spent on TikTok, users are spending an average of 52 mins a day using the app. Now, this might not seem much. But, let's take a look at 2 other social media networks as a comparison. People spend almost the same amount of time on Instagram (53 minutes) and a little bit less on Snapchat (49 minutes). For businesses and marketers, this is a very big deal. Why? Because, the more time users spend on TikTok, the more likely they are going to see your organic content and paid advertisements.

Did you know that 3 quarters of all mobile apps are downloaded, accessed once and then completely forgotten about? So, with this next statistic, you can be sure that TikTok falls into that remaining quarter. 90% of all users access the app each day. Not only that, but they are extremely active during their time too. In fact, almost 70% of users watch other people's videos whilst 55% create their own.

Social Media for Businesses

With a huge market on social media, more and more businesses are utilising social media to market products/services to the ever-growing audience. The most popular social networks for businesses, according to digital marketers, are listed below.

2018

The data, collected via Clutch's Social Media Survey, the most favoured network for businesses is Facebook - due to the huge number of users. Following closely behind is LinkedIn, YouTube and Twitter. Instagram is favoured mainly for visual businesses with a 'product' to showcase (design work etc.)

Data collected via Clutch Social media Survey

In 2018, Clutch conducted another survey for small businesses, and how they use social media in 2018. It found that Facebook was still the most popular platform, with 86% of small businesses favouring it. However, it was found that other platforms weren't used as frequently by smaller businesses:

This year, Clutch ran the social media survey again, however, the numbers have only changed a little bit for 2019. Facebook is still favoured for the sheer amount of users. However, 86% of businesses use it now, compared to 89% in 2018.

Whilst smaller businesses may not have the scale for some services, like using Twitter for customer response, it's surprising to see smaller businesses not taking advantage of LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a powerful tool for networking, which is a known and proven aspect for smaller businesses to bring in more business. If you're a small business, and you're not marketing yourself and your company on LinkedIn, you could be missing out on bringing in more work and more profit.

Managing Your Social Media Accounts

Not everyone has a knack for social media. For some it can be confusing and a lot of hassle - especially if you've got your own work to get on with. Bigger companies will usually have an in-house social team. Generally, smaller businesses outsource to digital agencies and social media management companies. Managing multiple accounts is normally very time consuming, so social media whizzes use management tools like Hootsuite or Buffer. This allows you to monitor data from across all your social channels, as well as manage posts and track engagement and stats.

What is the best social media management tool? (List updated for 2021)

Whilst there are tons and tons of services available, we've picked our top favourite social media management tools.

Hootsuite is one of the most well know management tools in the game. Plans vary depending on how many accounts you add, and you can utilise an array of features across the management system. The dashboard allows you to manage all your profiles in one location.

Professional plan - £39 a month (10 social profiles, 1 admin user)

Team plan - £99 a month (20 social profiles, 3 admin users)

Business plan - £520 a month (35 social profiles, 5 users)

Enterprise - get in touch for pricing

Whilst Buffer focuses on ease of navigation. It not only looks simple but is easy to operate and comes with a wealth of reposts in the Analytics tab. Buffer offers a basic package for free, which allows you to manage Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn for free (1 account).

Free plan - $0 a month (3 social profiles, 1 admin user)

Essentials plan - $5 per channel (unlimited profiles, 1 admin user with options to add team members at an add-on price)

Sprout is great value for money, despite not having a free plan. There are so many features available to ease the social media posting process. It allows you to queue up posts and visualise when and where they'll be posted too. Whilst the hefty price tag may not suit smaller businesses, for larger-scale ones it's ideal.

Standard plan - $99 a month (5 social profiles)

Professional plan - $169 a month (10 social profiles)

Advanced plan - $279 (10 social profiles)

MavSocial has a special emphasis on creating strategic content campaigns, to utilise your social media in a more effective and efficient way. One of the key features is the re-purposing tool, which allows you to rework existing and published content to fit a new purpose, whilst monitoring your messages and notifications across all social profiles.

Advanced plan - $19 a month (10 social profiles, 1 admin user)

Pro plan - $78 a month (30 social profiles, 3 admin users)

Business plan - $199 a month (50 social profiles, 5 users)

Enterprise plan - get in touch for a custom quote (unlimited profiles, unlimited users)

This service is ideal for digital agencies, as it allows you to report to your heart's content. AgoraPulse not only improves the content and streamlines posting, but it allows you to create unlimited reports too. This means you can report back to your clients, as well as integrate competitor analysis and monitor ad campaigns too - synchronising workflow. However, this is only available on the more expensive plans.

Free plan - free (3 social profiles, 1 admin user)

Pro plan - €79 a month (10 social profiles, 2 admin users)

Premium plan - €159 a month (20 social profiles, 4 admin users)

Enterprise plan - get in touch for custom pricing (40+ social profiles, 8+ users)

Social Pilot works on creating harmony between all of your social accounts. It has the tools for social media reporting. It emphasises synchronicity as the main feature, so the team of admins can streamline their workload. The hand calendar feature easily displays published content and scheduled content as well.

Professional plan - $30 a month (10 social profiles, 1 admin user)

Small team plan - $50 a month (25 social profiles, 3 admin users)

Studio plan - $100 a month (50 social profiles, 5 users)

Agency plan - $150 a month (75 social profiles, 10 users)

As for Everypost, it focuses on pulling visual content from multiple sources as well as preaching a simple interface for ease of navigation and functionality. The price plan is dependent on the features you wish to include with your plan. It appears to be the best service for the price. For the same price as Buffer, and cheaper than Hootsuite, you can do a lot more with the service, including more team members and better management.

Personal plan - Free (1 social profile, 1 admin user)

Pro plan - $9.99 a month (10 social profiles, 3 admin users)

Plus plan - $49.99 a month (25 social profiles, 5 admin users)

Advanced plan - $99.99 a month (50 social profiles, 10 admin users)
Other Useful Resource:
eClincher is a social media tool that allows you to manage your social media presence and marketing activities, combining all the social media accounts in one place. eClincher provides a publishing and scheduling tool, allowing you to post on numerous accounts at the same time. Another great feature on eClincher is the social media analytics tool that measures results; this helps you create reports to send to clients.

Basic plan - $59 a month (10 social profiles, 1 admin user)

Premier plan - $119 a month (20 social profiles, 3 admin users)

Agency plan - $219 a month (40 social profiles, 6 admin users)

Sendible allows you to connect to just about any social network including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube and more. Even publish directly to WordPress, Blogger and Tumblr. Whether focusing on a campaign for one brand or managing social across hundreds, Sendible helps agency teams be more productive by managing all their client activities from a centralised hub.

Creator plan - £21 a month (6 social profiles, 1 user)

Traction plan - £65 a month (24 social profiles, 4 users)

Scale plan - £145 a month (49 social profiles, 7 users)

Expansion plan - £299 a month (105 social profiles, 15 users)

SharedCount is a really handy tool that allows you to see how and where your website content is being shared on social media. It is targeted towards smaller businesses and individual users who might not have the resources available to pay for premium products. But, it is one of the best tools of its kind out there and can also prove really handy for freelancers. The reason that you should be using it is because it can help you drive more traffic and improve your conversion rate.

Personal plan - $40 per month

Professional plan - $160 per month

Enterprise plan - $640 per month

Formerly known as Schedugram, Sked Social is one of the original Instagram scheduling tools. One of the best things about this social media tool is that it allows you to upload your photos and move them around to see how your Instagram grid looks before you hit the publish button.

Fundamental plan - $25 per month (up to 13 social profiles, 1 user)

Essential plan - $75 per month (up to 25 social profiles, unlimited users)

Professional plan - $135 per month (up to 40 social profiles, unlimited users)

Zoho Social offers a simple way to manage your brand by providing a complete social media management solution. As well as being able to manage multiple social media accounts, there is also a really cool calendar feature so you can see what posts you have scheduled in to be published. You are also able to monitor keywords across the conversations that are being had about your brand on social media too.

Standard plan - £8 per month (7 social profiles, 1 user)

Professional plan - £22 per month (7 social profiles, 1 user)

Premium plan - £35 per month (8 social profiles, 3 users)

Using Brandwatch is a great way of eavesdropping on the information that could be imperative to your business from Facebook, Twitter, blogs and every other corner of the internet. Its social sentiment features allows you to see the tone of data from different profiles so you can tap into trends and emerging themes and use them to your advantage.

Contact Brandwatch for custom pricing based on your requirements

Statusbrew is a different type of social media management platform because it's aimed for sales, marketing and customer support teams. As well as its campaign management features, there's also reporting and analytics tools so you can stay on top of your brands' overall social media health. On top of that, there are also some really cool integrations available such as Shopify, Zendesk and Slack.

Standard plan - $129 per month (10 social profiles, 5 users)

Premium plan - $229 per month (15 social profiles, 8 users)

Enterprise plan - Contact for custom pricing

CoSchedule is more than just a social media management tool; it's a calendar that allows you to manage the majority of your digital marketing efforts. You can also collaborate with your colleagues to create content, social media posts, events and other related tasks. It's a great tool for businesses and marketers who want to organise all of their projects in one place.

Marketing calendar plan - $29 per month

Marketing suite plan - Contact for custom pricing

MeetEdgar is a great social media management tool for automation and scheduling, giving your team more time to complete other tasks. The tool offers continuous posting which automatically creates and reshares relevant posts so that your social media account is always active.

Edgar Lite - $19 per month (3 social profiles)

Edgar - $49 per month (25 social accounts)

Loomly is a great choice for those with large teams, as their comprehensive plans can have up to 26 different users. You'll never lack inspiration when using Loomly either, as they offer post ideas, trending topics and social media best practices.

Base plan - $25 per month (10 social profiles, 2 users)

Standard plan - $57 per month (20 social accounts, 6 users)

Advanced plan - $119 per month (35 social accounts, 16 users)

Premium plan - $249 per month (50 social accounts, 26 users)

Enterprise plan - Request a quote on their website

Renowned for being easy to use, Ripl is a great tool for creating content, scheduling, and analysing. With thousands of templates to choose from and recommended hashtags for audience targeting, it's a tool which is super handy for all businesses.

Base plan - $14.99 per month (5 social profiles)

The Right Time to Post

So, if you want to maximise engagement for your posts, and schedule your socials accordingly, you should know when is a good time to post on social. We've created an infographic on the best times to post on 4 of the main social media platforms - so you can maximise users engagement and interactions with posts. You can see our graphic, below.

2020:

Updated for 2021:

It might be time to utilise all those social media platforms to their full extent. With each service gaining more and more users, Facebook is going to become even bigger this year. It's a powerful marketing strategy to include SMM, and with a user base growing at an alarming rate, social media is not a market to miss out on. Refine your digital marketing in 2021 with Revive.Digital.

Check out our digital marketing services available.

Below, you'll find a slideshow on social media management tools. If you find this information helpful, feel free to share it with your friends, colleagues, family or pets!
If you enjoyed reading our blog post on the most popular social media networks, then why not check out our own!

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Most Popular Social Media Networks (Updated for 2021) | Blog | Revive Digital

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26/08/2021 Understanding social media trends in the previous year and how SM can be the most effective digital marketing method available to your business in 2021. Social media is by far the most popular service available on the internet. It can share information, spread brand awareness - it makes or breaks your business.

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Since its inception in 1996, social media has managed to infiltrate half of the 7.7 billion people in the world. Social network platforms almost tripled their total user base in the last decade, from 970 million in 2010 to the number passing 4.48 billion users in July 2021.

The spectacular year-on-year adoption of new users on the platforms is, however, slowing down. It now relies on the continuous growth in the number of people with internet access and smartphones, particularly in developing regions.

So, how big is social media and how has it evolved today?

In this awesome statistical roundup, you'll discover the latest social network data by the numbers and key demographics, here's a summary of what you'll learn below:

So without further ado, let's dive into the top 12 statistics you cannot miss surrounding one of the fastest adopted technologies in the last century.

Social Media Usage Statistics (Top Picks)

4.48 billion people currently use social media worldwide, up more than double from 2.07 billion in 2015

The average social media user engages with an average of 6.6 various social media platforms

The social media growth rate since 2015 is an average of 12.5% year-over-year. However, growth is on the decline with 2019-2020 data revealing a 9.2% growth rate

By region, social media growth in 2019-2020 is led by Asia: +16.98%, Africa +13.92%, South America +8.00%, North America +6.96%, Europe +4.32%, and Australasia +4.9%

60.99% of the 7.87 billion people in the world use social media, of eligible audiences aged 13+, there is 63% that are active users

93.33% of internet users are on social media; however, a titanic 85% of mobile internet users are active on networks

Facebook is the leading social network at 2.9 billion monthly active users, followed by YouTube (2.3 billion), WhatsApp (2 billion), FB Messenger (1.3 billion), and WeChat (1.2 billion)

72.3% of the total US population actively use social media, totaling a number of 240 million people

In the US, 54% of social media users are female, while the remaining 46% are male, compared with a global average of 45.6% for female, and 54.4% for male.

How many people use social media?

As of 2021, the number of people using social media is over 4.48 billion worldwide, with the average user accessing 6.6 social media platforms on a monthly basis. Popular platforms like Facebook have over 65.86% of their monthly users logging in to use social media daily.

All social networks report growth data on the number of monthly active users or MAU's rather than the number of accounts, as this data is more accurate for measuring actual use and territory penetration.

What percentage of people use social media?

The current percentage of people using social media is 56.8% of the world's total population. However, when we look into platform penetration rates from people in eligible audiences, 93.33% of 4.8 billion global internet users and 85% of 5.27 billion mobile phone users are on social media.
Key Statistics:

4.48 billion people use social media worldwide, according to platform reports on the current number of active users

56.8% of the world's population is active on social media when looking at eligible audiences aged 13+ years, rising to 82% in North America

Out of 7.87 billion people in the world, 56.8% of the population use social networks, regardless of age or internet access

Out of 4.8 billion internet users, 93.33% are active users

Out of 5.27 billion unique mobile phone users, 85% are active users

Out of 4.48 billion social media users, 99% access the websites or apps through a mobile device

How many social media accounts does the average person have?

According to the Global Web Index, the average number of social media accounts a millennial or Gen Z-er has is 8.4 worldwide, up 75% from 4.8 accounts in 2014. The study of 46 countries with internet users aged 16 to 64 shows Japan had the lowest average number of social network accounts at 3.8, comparably India had the highest with 11.5 per person.
Key Statistics:

The average number of social media accounts is 8.4 per person in 2020

The growth in the number of accounts per person is up 75% from 4.8 accounts per person in 2014 to 8.4 in 2020

Firstly, the growth of multi-networking relates to the widening of platform choice. Secondly, it's also down to specialization of individual platforms, e.g., Instagram (photos), YouTube (video), and LinkedIn (work)

5 Highlights for Backlinko's audience:
How many people use social networks for business?

40% of all internet users worldwide use social media for work purposes. In the U.S., only 27% of people actively use social media in their jobs, compared with the highest by country in Indonesia at 65%, or the lowest at 13% in Israel.
5 Highlights for Backlinko's audience:
Social media usage by gender

The current global average gender split of social media users is 54% men versus 46% women. However, in the US, women are the leading user base; 76% of all female internet users have social network accounts compared with 72% of all men.
Which gender uses social media more by region? Which gender uses social media more by platform?
As you can see from the data above, social network usage is different for men and women globally when examining location. Perhaps the most notable gap in gender differences is where we look at the use by the platform.

When looking at the top 8 social platforms by monthly active users, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, and TikTok index higher in male users. Sites like Facebook and Instagram are more female orientated, especially Pinterest, which dominates with female audiences.

Global social media growth rates

How much does social networking grow year on year?

In 2021, there are 4.48 billion people actively using social media in the world, and this is an increase of 13.13% year-on-year from 3.69 billion in 2020. Back in 2015, there were only 2.07 billion users - that's an overall increase in users of 115.59% in just six years.
6 Year Social Media Growth Statistics:
Top 10: Growth of social media users by country

According to Keipo's analysis, the country with the most significant social media growth in 2019-2020 was India, with 130 million new users joining platforms - equivalent to 9.6% of their total population. In second place was China (15 m), Indonesia (12 m), Brazil (11 m), Iran (9.4 m), and the USA in 6th place with 6.9 million new users.

Below, we have the top 20 social media growth rankings by country, representing the largest number of users, not percentage increase:

Growth of social media users by region

The total number of people using social media grew by 9.2% between April 2019 and Jan 2020. When looking at the number of people growing by region, Europe had the slowest activation of new active users at 4.9%. Whereas Asia was the most considerable social media user base growth at 16.98%, followed by Africa increasing by 13.92%
Social media growth by region 2019-2020:
Day one: When did social media start?

The rise of social media began back in 1996 with the release of the networking site Bolt (now closed). Shortly after, in 1997, Six Degrees was released where users could add friends and make profiles. Following that, services like AOL Instant Messenger, Live Journal, and Friendster launched all paving the way for the leader, Facebook, in 2004.
Timeline: Early days of social media

1996: The first social networking and video website is Bolt, which was active from 1996-2007

1997: A site called Six Degrees was created where users could upload profile information and connect with users by making 'friends'

1997: AOL launched its Instant Messenger service, who acquired it from an Israeli based company, it was originally called ICQ and launched in 1996

1999: This was the launch of LiveJournal, the first popular blogging platform

2000: Habbo, a game based networking site, was released

2002: Friendster launched, where users made profiles, connected, and share content

2003: LinkedIn launched the first business-orientated social networking site

2004: Facebook, the most popular platform of all time launches

Sources: GlobalWebIndex, Pew Research, Wikipedia, Social media platforms & Kepio's Analysis

Social media penetration by country

Which country has the most active social media users in the world?

Social media penetration = active users vs. total population.

According to Statista's data from 2020, the most active country is the U.A.E., with 99% of its population using social media. The average penetration rate globally is 49%. When isolating the data to eligible users aged 13+, the average social media penetration rate is 63%.
Key Statistics by the total population

On average, 49% of the world are active social media users, regardless of age

On average, 63% of the world's population aged 13+ are active on social media

In which countries can networks look to expand?

Social media has the most substantial opportunity for growth in developing countries, with billions of new users to sign up. Think tank data company Pew Research Center noted a steady increase in internet and smartphone adoption, which significantly relates to the growth of social media in certain developing countries or regions.

In 2014 there was a median of 42% of people that accessed the internet occasionally, now this figure must be well over 65%, which was the last number recorded from the Pew study in 2017. There was a similar story for the adoption of smartphone use also, doubling to almost 42% in the same period.

Advertising revenue will not grow at the same rate

Unfortunately, social networks looking to expand in these territories will make a lot less from the advertising profits per user, so user volume is critical for their earnings.

For example, Facebook reports the average revenue per user would be $41.41 for signing someone up in the US; however, in the Asia-Pacific region, that figure lies at $3.57.

Sources: Statista, Statista, Data Reportal, Social media platforms & Kepio's Analysis

Social media in the US by the numbers

What percentage of Americans are on social media?

According to platform statements, the number of social media users in the US is 240 million in 2020, meaning 72.3% of Americans are actively using sites monthly. The most popular platforms in the United States are YouTube at 81.9% and Facebook at 73.4% among internet users aged 16 to 64.

Number of Americans on social media:

The US social media penetration is calculated by the total number of active social network users versus the total population or those aged 13+.

72.3% of the total US population have social network accounts, regardless of age, totaling a number of 231.47 million people

US social media use by gender:

In America, social media is more prevalent among women, in particular, Snapchat and Pinterest, whereas men are using sites like YouTube and Twitter more.

US social media use by ethnicity:

The percentage of social media use versus the total population by race for the entire US population is:

US social media use by age:

Unsurprisingly, the percentage of Americans using social media by age is primarily Gen Z and Millennials.

Sources: Pew Research, Data Reportal, Brandwatch, Social media platforms & Kepio's Analysis

Social media growth in the US

What is the current growth rate of social media in the US?

70% of the US population has active social media accounts, with a year-on-year growth rate of 3.1% from 2019-2020. An original record of the US market size was 5% in 2005, growth in the US took just under 6 years to penetrate 50% of America's population in 2011.
Key Statistics:

America's social media growth rate between 2020 and 2021 was 4.3%

The total number of users in America has grown by 10 million between 2020 and 2021

US growth of social media users by platform

A selection of surveys conducted by the Pew Research Center 2012-2019 shows the percentage of US adults who state they use the following apps on their phone or desktop.
Key US Network Growth Statistics 2020-2021:
Sources: Statista, Pew Research, OurWorldInData, Data Reportal, eMarketer, Social media platforms & Kepio's Analysis

Most popular social media platforms

What are the most used social media sites?

In 2020, Facebook is the leading social network with people with 2.85 billion of 4.48 billion social media users worldwide. YouTube and WhatsApp follow this with over 2 billion, then Messenger, WeChat, and Instagram, all having 1 billion or more users.

Average time spent on social media

How much time do people spend on social media each day?

In 2020, the average time spent on social media per day is 2 hours 25 minutes globally for users aged 16 to 64 on any device.

In comparison, the time spent on networks by the average person in the US is 2 hours and 7 minutes, 18 minutes less than the global average.

The World Health Organization estimates global life expectancy to be 73 years. If the average person persisted with the same social media usage, they would spend 5.7 years / 2,080 days on platforms in their eligible lifespan.
Key Statistics:

Globally, the average time a person spends on social media a day is 2 hours 25 minutes / 145 minutes

The average person will spend 5.7 years on social media from the age of 16+ to the average life expectancy of 70

The average person will spend 36.5 days a year on platforms from the age of 16+

Out of the 46 countries surveyed, people in the Philippines spend the most daily time networking at 4h 15m

People in Japan spend the least daily time on networking at 51 minutes

Time spent on social media by country

Below, we have the average daily time spent on social media in hours and minutes from 46 countries; the data source is the Global Web Index 2020 report.
5 Highlights for Backlinko's audience:
Daily time on social media growth statistics

Below, we have the growth in time spent on social media in minutes; the data source is from all internet users from 47 countries, aged 16 to 64, and on any device.

How often do Americans use social media sites?

Below we have the frequency of visits Americans have to these popular social media sites, all platforms other than Twitter get at least half of their users visiting the platform every single day.

Social Media Usage by Device

What's the percentage of social media usage on mobile vs. desktop?

In regards to social media usage by device, 99% of people in the world access networks on a mobile device (tablet or phone). Around 78% are solely accessing platforms from their mobile phone, compared with only 1.32% visiting their social networks via only their desktop.

What's the internet's mobile vs. tablet market share?

According to StatCounter, the current mobile vs. desktop market share worldwide is weighted more towards mobile, with 55.89% of people accessing the internet on a feature or smartphone. Only 41.36% of people now access the internet on desktop (leaving 2.74% on tablets).

By comparison, this shows just how "mobile" social media is.
Key Statistics:
Sources: Data Reportal, BankMyCell, Statcounter

Conclusion

There you have it for my rise of social media statistics roundup.

In terms of technology adoption, it's mind-blowing to see how quickly a social network can explode. For example, TikTok was on one in five devices connected to the internet in 24 months.

Now I'd like to hear from you:

What else would you like to see added to this roundup? Or have a question?

Either way, please jump in and leave a comment below.

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How Many People Use Social Media in 2023? (65+ Statistics)

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Explore the ultimate roundup of social media user statistics. Discover social network statistics on growth, country, platform & time spent daily.

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Fifteen years ago, the thought that social media would be so valuable for businesses that entire careers would revolve around community building and on-platform ad management was unthinkable. The field is now thriving alongside the boom of social platforms, so the career growth opportunities here are extraordinary.

Careers in social media marketing are booming to the point where they've made CNN's top 100 careers with big growth, and with the increasing importance of organic and paid marketing on social channels, this isn't something that will be changing anytime soon.

Curious what exactly this career growth looks like and if it will be consistent enough for you to venture into it? In this post, we're going to take a look at everything you should know about the expanding social media career growth patterns in terms of prominence, popular position titles, and even what you could reasonably expect to make.

How Expansive Is the Growth of Social Media Careers?

We're not kidding when we say that social media careers and all the potential surrounding them are booming. Businesses across all industries need to be able to connect with their target audience and form strong communities if they want to be able to actually stay in business. This is what leads them to social media practitioners, which is a valuable form of marketing and community building all in one.

All the data out there supports this, too, showing social media marketing as a rapidly growing career option across the globe.

We've already mentioned that CNNMoney added social media marketing positions to their Top 100 careers with big growth, noting a 9% increase in job growth over a 10-year period. According to LinkedIn, there has been an unbelievably 1357% increase in social media positions listed on the platform since 2010, which shows an even more rapid growth over the past decade.

In 2016, Burning Glass reported that there were 174,141 postings calling for digital marketing skills, which made up 39% of the 443,440 marketing positions overall. Jobs with "social media" in the description have also tripled over the past year.

That's not all, though; it's important to note that marketing factors that include social media are growing faster than other types of marketing positions. Digital marketing has grown about 30% faster than other marketing positions.

These jobs aren't just a temporary boom; they'll be stable, because social media has changed how businesses market with their consumers, so there will be a permanent need here, no matter what the economic landscape looks like. The COVID-19 pandemic proved this, as businesses social media workers more than ever to stay on top of increased virtual and social communications with their clients.

Social Media Salaries

Social media salaries vary depending on a number of different factors, including the following:

* Your experience
* Whether you work for an agency, a private company, or you're self-employed
* Your location
* Your position and role with the company

If you're promoted all the way up to a position like Chief Marketing Officer for a major company or run your own successful social media freelance agency, it goes without saying that you'd naturally be making more than an entry-level social media worker who curates data for high-profile clients' feeds.

Regardless, social media marketing jobs can pay well; digital marketing skills can yield around a $7,000 salary premium compared to other marketing roles, and social media fits under that umbrella.

This is obviously a big range, and true entry-level positions at larger companies may come with slightly smaller paychecks, but the growth potential to increase income is absolutely there.

Social Media Strategists, on the other hand, have an average base salary of $84,000, with a range of $50,000 to $120,000. There may be overlapping skills, and applying for jobs with a different title can help you see a big pay increase quickly.

The 8 Most Common Social Media Jobs

If you're hunting for jobs, typically typing the search phrase "social media marketing" will pull up plenty of listings that are a relevant match for your skill set. This gives you a big advantage, and a potentially very wide pool of jobs to apply to, which is always excellent.

There are a few specific roles, however, that you'll see mentioned again and again. Let's take a quick look at each one.

As we're going through our list, however, note that a lot of these positions have some massive overlap; the distinctions are subtle, and brands using the terms may be looking for similar qualities, skills, and responsibilities to doll out depending on their specific needs.

1. Social Media Strategist

Some jobs are just looking for a "social media worker," but if you see "social media strategist" in the description, that's a sign that they're looking for someone who can help develop and execute cutting-edge strategies to liven up or maintain their social media. Strategists may be responsible for proposing ideas like pitches for contests or suggesting to launch a Story campaign or branded hashtag to generate awareness.

Strategists may have the head honcho in their department, though they'll often report to someone else for approval depending on the location.

2. Social Media Manager

Social media managers are typically going to be involved in being hands-on in social accounts doing everything from scheduling posts to handling engagement and monitoring reports. This title is sometimes given to a lead in an internal department, but it can also be given to someone working for an agency where they'll be handling plenty of client accounts.

3. Community Manager

Community managers are often held responsible for establishing and growing a community, sometimes online and offline. A community manager for a local gym, for example, might come up with challenges to entice participation and social proof, and they'll foster a Facebook group just for members by offering up valuable training tips and health information that their audience would love.

4. Social Media Consultant

Social media consultants are typically freelancers or employees of agencies (making it hard to find official job listings for this exact title), and they're most frequently going to be offering consultations around strategy. Consultants may or may not be hired by clients on an on-going basis, and they'll often spend a lot of time working with clients who are either brand new (and choosing which platforms and strategies to use) or those who are ready to scale to the next level.

5. Brand manager

Brand managers are typically going to have responsibilities inside and outside of social media. They'll work with other digital marketing workers, too, to help define or refine a brand across every touchpoint users may encounter the business on. This includes your website, your email campaigns, and of course, social. They often play a heavy hand in strategy, but the big focus is on creating and enforcing a brand audiences will love.

6. Social Media Analyst

Social media analysts (sometimes called "brand analysts" if the job goes beyond social) are all about the data. Typically, these jobs are going to be focused on looking at current and past campaigns and assessing how effective they may be. They'll look at everything from on- and off-platform engagement to get a feeling of what's working and what isn't.

Analysts typically offer suggestions in addition to just creating reports about how to improve campaigns moving forward, and they're particularly important once expensive PPC campaigns and a lot of ad dollars come into play.

7. Digital Marketing Specialist

Digital marketing specialists can end up wearing a lot of hats, including social media practitioner. They'll often be responsible for executing multiple cohesive campaigns at once, which may involve things like content marketing campaigns, PPC campaigns, and organic social campaigns that all weave together well.

8. Chief Marketing Officer

If you work hard to rise in the ranks, you can make it up to a company's chief marketing officer position. These positions are prestigious, and you won't just be overseeing social media marketing work; you'll have to look at how all the puzzle pieces fit together, including SEO, PPC, email marketing, content marketing, overall web presence, and more. Social will still be an important part of the job, but you'll likely be handing off a lot of the duties and actual social media work to others on the team.

The Skills You Need for a Social Media Career

In order to find success in the social media world (and, to be frank, a job), it's not enough to have simply been a user on social platforms for years. You need to have the right skills to execute strategic campaigns that will accomplish business goals that go beyond "get likes of my new puppy."

Let's take a quick look at the skills you'll need.

Knowledge of the Platforms Themselves

Each social media platform is different, with its own unique set of best practices, rules, and mistakes to avoid.

Here are a few examples of what you need to know before you should start seeking a social media marketing career:

* How each platform's algorithm prioritizes content
* What's happening with organic reach on each platform
* Which platforms are best for your client's business based on performance, audience, and type of content posted
* How inbound and outbound links are treated on the platform
* Extra features (like Facebook Groups or LinkedIn Pages) that should be used

The only way to get this knowledge is through hands-on work or an extensive social media education like what we offer

Strategic Skills & Experience

Do you know how to look at a client's current performance, their audience, and their goals and then determine how to get where they want to go?

This is an essential skill to have because higher-level social media marketing positions require more than just posting daily for the sake of it.

You should be able to create a diverse content calendar that's optimized for each platform. You'll also want to know about strategies like setting up branded contests, when to use influencer marketing, going live to nurture relationships, and more.

Familiarity with Native & Third-Party Business Tools

Do you know how to navigate Facebook's analytics, or how to schedule posts for Instagram ahead of time?

Do you know the steps involved to set up an Instagram shop, or how to establish Rich Pins on Pinterest?

You want to know how to use each social media platform to the fullest, both with native and third-party tools.

Social Copywriting Skills

Think fast: How many characters do you have in a Facebook post before it's cut off on mobile?

Do know when you should use hashtags and when not to?

Practice writing copy that feels natural, is non-repetitive, and doesn't focus on cheesy, "salesy" language like "It's Your Last Chance to Buy Now!"

Graphic Design Skills

Not all social media marketers need to have design skills, but if you can use drag-and-drop design software, you're at an advantage.

Some businesses will want original graphics and images creation, even if it's simply quoted on backgrounds or a basic infographic.

While this skill isn't needed for all positions, it is a plus to have, especially if you're working on your own either as a freelancer or an employee instead of part of a large team.

Basic Copyright Knowledge

This may seem minor, and it's a small part of your job, but it matter.

Copyright is something to consider, and all original content published online is protected by copyright.

How to Get Social Media Marketing Experience

Have we made our field of work sound appealing enough yet? Social media marketing is growing quickly, making it appealing and sometimes resulting in a little bit of competition to get the best jobs out there.

In order to break into the field, we recommend doing the three following things...

1. Get the Education

Get the education and certifications in social media marketing.

Not only will having those diplomas help you stand out from your competition, making you more appealing to potential employers, but you'll also have a lot more strategic, technical knowledge than most of the people you're up against.

Which brings us to step number two...

2. Get Strategic

Too many self-proclaimed social media marketers are happy to just slap together random posts because they sound nice and upload them to the platform. This isn't enough, however, to drive actual results with social marketing.

Prove that you have the knowledge to do something different and engage and nurture leads on different platforms. During an interview, offer examples demonstrating your strategic knowledge, like explaining how you could use in-feed organic posts to send traffic to Stories campaigns that will have links to send users to your site.

Small examples of strategic knowledge can help you get new work, whether you're applying to a full-time job or are trying to win a freelance contract.

And this brings us to step number three...

3. Get Some Samples

It's hard to start when you don't have a lot of work experience, but do what you can to build a portfolio so that you can show potential employers samples of what you can do, both in terms of posts you've created but also campaigns that you've run.

Though many might not be paid or may not pay well for first-time workers, you can typically find fast and easy freelance gigs that will give you some room to build a portfolio early on. You could also start your own social media channels so that you have full control, and an instant link to send clients or employers to if they ask to see samples of your work.

4. Look for Small Businesses That Need Help On a Budget

While all labor deserves to be paid for fairly, the reality is that sometimes it's difficult to break into a career with limited experience.

I got my first writing gig on Craiglist, and it only paid $15 for an entire article, but it also gave me my first sample that I was able to leverage to higher-paying work and an eventual career.

Ask around, and let friends and family know that you're looking for work. There are plenty of small businesses that have a few hundred dollars a month that need help with their social media management.

If you are in the financial position to do so and are struggling to get a full-time job, taking on lower-paying opportunities as long as you can get a testimonial or share the samples can pay off, but make sure that you aren't signing any contracts that forbid you from doing so.

In addition to small businesses, you may also have luck offering pro-bono services to local nonprofits. This is a great way to give back while honing your skills, and plenty of employers love to see this.

Conclusion

Social media marketing careers have grown unbelievably fast in the past decade, keeping up with the rapidly growing platforms and their rapidly evolving audience members, too. With brands increasingly realizing that they can't hire a 16-year old intern to tweet into a void in order to get results on social, more are turning to both in-house and external social team members to help them connect with their customers in meaningful ways.

This is a field that's growing quickly, but if you're adaptable and agile, there's so much room to grow within it. Being quick on your feet, having a basic understanding on human psychology, and having a passion for staying up to date with the latest and greatest in marketing trends and technology could make you an outstanding fit for these jobs. All you have to do is start with the right education, and then we can help you take it from there.

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Social Media Career Growth in 2021: What You Need to Know - Social Media College

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Fifteen years ago, the thought that social media would be so valuable for businesses that entire careers would revolve around community building and on-platform ad management was unthinkable. The field is now thriving alongside the boom of social platforms, so the career growth opportunities here are extraordinary.

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Photo by Kate Torline on Unsplash

" By giving people the power to share, we're making the world more transparent.' - Mark Zuckerberg, 2012.

In many ways, Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook (which has almost 2.5 billion monthly users), is right with this quote. However, the real question is, what kind of world has social media made more transparent?

I ask this question because nowadays, no matter who you are - even if you do not currently have a social media profile - you are only a few taps of a screen away from being able to spectate the lifestyles of some of the wealthiest people in the world, their million-dollar mansions, primed and perfect bodies, expensive cars, and beautiful scenery.

There is only one problem. You are not living these lives you are just watching other people live them and doing nothing to improve your own situation.

It's inevitable that the most famous people on the planet have the most followers on these platforms. Cristiano Ronaldo has, at the time of writing, 220 million followers on Instagram. At any one time, at least 3% of the global population could be scrolling through Ronaldo's Instagram, gazing at his pristine lifestyle - the result of a supposed £26 million-per-year deal he has with his current club, Juventus. The kind of money that, realistically, a huge proportion of his follower base could never even dream of having.

This is where the problem arises. I am not frustrated or annoyed with these celebrities for sharing their lives because. As you heard from Zuckerberg himself, that is the whole premise and idea behind these platforms. However, the key issue is the propensity of the average follower going on to believe that these kinds of lifestyles are normal - and achievable.

Social media is an addiction. It is a tool that is used extensively and religiously by people from many different walks of life - different cultures, different lifestyles, different upbringings - and they are all subjected to posts, feeds, and videos of lives that are not theirs.

More, they are exposed to these alternate universes every single day of every single week. It is bound to become imprinted somewhere within the mind of the scroller that they can achieve equally as much as, if not more than, the subject of their loyal following.

And indeed, some people can and do achieve such things, but not all. Otherwise, we'd all be doing it. That's just the harsh truth of life.

It is, unfortunately, becoming a sad truth that the lifestyles of a wealthy few are starting to form the basis of our goals and desires. Our lives might not be as exciting or as aesthetically pleasing as the reality of Kylie Jenner or Cristiano Ronaldo or Rihanna. But these lives of ours are perfectly normal, and are nothing to be ashamed of.

Platforms such as Facebook, I'm sure, were created with the very best, pure intentions. And in many ways, social media is one of the finest ideas and developments in recent times. A message to my sister who lives in Sydney is a couple of taps away.

Furthermore, an increasing number of jobs, and therefore livelihoods, now depend on the use of social media. With the advent of smartphone cameras and Snapchat memories, people now have somewhere to permanently store all of their happiest memories. Our digital world is fast becoming, if it hasn't already become, one of the most important things in the life of somebody living in the 21st century.

But as much as social media has its uses, it, too, can use us. This is a temptation we must resist. How? Limit your time on certain apps, put your phone down, go on a walk with friends or family - just do something that helps you reconnect with what your life really is, the life you are actually living every day, rather than being bogged down in what Instagram tells you life is meant to be like.

Please remember that your version of 'real' is not a photo of Kylie Jenner sunbathing in the garden of her mansion. Your 'real' is literally a glance up from the phone screen away - which is ironic, because it can seem so much further away than that when you're in the midst of another social media browsing session.

You do not need four cars, a house in Beverly Hills, and a private jet to be happy or to have a fulfilling life. It's perfectly okay to have a 9-5 job, a bit of a beer belly and a weekly fry-up for breakfast. What's important is maintaining your sense of individuality and not allowing what you see on a daily basis on your social media profiles to become your desired reality. Doing so will only breed dissatisfaction in your own life.

After all, our world is so much more than what our favorite celebrities and influencers post on their social media pages - no matter what kind of life you are living.

Mind Cafe's Reset Your Mind: A Free 10-Day Email Course

We're offering a free gift to all of our new subscribers as a thank you for your continued support. When you sign up using this link, we'll send you tips on how to boost mental clarity and focus every two days.

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Social Media is Warping Our Perception of Reality

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" By giving people the power to share, we're making the world more transparent.' - Mark Zuckerberg, 2012. In many ways, Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook (which has almost 2.5 billion monthly users), is right with this quote. However, the real question is, what kind of world has social media made more transparent?

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Self-actualization can mean a lot of things depending who you ask.

One of the most broadly accepted definitions comes from Abraham Maslow, a humanistic psychologist. He described self-actualization as the process of becoming "everything you are capable of becoming."

Kim Egel, a San Diego therapist, similarly explains it as the "ability to become the best version of yourself."

It all sounds great - but how do you actually become this best version of yourself? And how will you know you've achieved it?

"There's no script for that," Egel adds. "Everyone has to find their own unique ways to hear the inner wisdom that can help them live a life of truth."

Only you can determine what self-actualization means for you, but we've got the info to help you get the ball rolling and make the process feel less daunting.

A lot of discussions about self-actualization refer to Maslow's hierarchy of needs. He theorized that people need to satisfy four basic types of needs before they can satisfy a fifth need for self-actualization.

He organized these needs into a pyramid:

The lowest stage contains the most basic needs, such as food, water, and shelter.

The second stage represents safety needs.

The third includes belonging or relationship needs.

The fourth stage involves respect or esteem needs, both from the self and others.

The fifth stage, or the tip of the pyramid, is self-actualization.

While this pyramid model can provide some general guidance on the path toward self-actualization, it has some limitations. For example, plenty of people lack adequate food and shelter while still enjoying and maintaining strong relationships and respecting others.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a good thing to be aware of as you explore self-actualization, but it's not the only way to approach things.

Again, self-actualization can mean a lot of things to different people. To cut through some of the ambiguity, it might be helpful to think about what self-actualization isn't.

Self-actualization doesn't involve perfection or things always going smoothly. You can become self-actualized and still face difficulties.

In fact, a huge part of self-actualization is recognizing your limits in addition to focusing on your unique strengths - whether those involve practical skills, parenting, artistic talents, or emotional insights.

From there, you would live your life in a way that best utilizes your strengths while taking steps to achieve your dreams, both large and small.

For example, say you dream of becoming a pop singer. You love music, but can't really carry a tune. Eventually, you find that you're pretty good at playing the guitar and making music that way.

You practice, develop this skill, and continue improving over time. Maybe you never become a pop singer, but you live out your need to make music in a different way.

Now that we've identified a basic definition of what self-actualization is (and isn't), it's time to get into the nitty-gritty of what it truly means to be the best version of yourself.

There are a range of characteristics that tend to be associated with self-actualization.

Keep in mind that it's possible to achieve it without meeting every characteristic, just as it's equally possible to have these traits before reaching the point of self-actualization.

Generally speaking, self-actualized people:

Live independently. They don't structure their lives around the opinions of others. They may not seem swayed by social feedback. They also have an appreciation for solitude and don't always need company.

Have a sense for reality and truth. They may seem more grounded and in touch with actual possibilities and have an easier time detecting falseness from other people.

Are comfortable with the unknown. They don't mind not knowing what the future holds.

Have compassion, kindness, and acceptance. This goes both for themselves and for others they encounter.

Have a good-natured sense of humor. They can laugh at themselves when they make mistakes and help others see humor in challenging situations.

Enjoy meaningful friendships. They tend to build long-lasting relationships with a few people instead of casual friendships with many people.

Have a sense of spontaneity. They live more naturally, rather than in a rigid way, and aren't afraid to follow what happens in the moment instead of sticking to routine.

Are creative. Creativity doesn't just refer to artistic abilities. Some self-actualized people might have a knack for looking at problems in new ways or thinking along different lines than other people do. They may simply lack inhibition, another characteristic of a spontaneous nature.

Enjoy peak experiences. A peak experience describes a moment of euphoria, wonder, and joy, often characterized by a sense of feeling connected to the universe. They might seem like eye-opening moments, where deeper meanings suddenly become clear. They aren't necessarily spiritual, though.

Focus on things bigger than themselves. They tend to see the big picture instead of only considering their own lives, and may dedicate their lives to a mission, cause, or deeper purpose.

Stop and smell the roses. They appreciate each positive or joyful moment - a sunrise, a partner's kiss, a child's laugh - as if it were the first, no matter how many times they've already experienced it.

Have a sense of justice. They have compassion and care for all people, and work to prevent acts of injustice or unethical behavior.

Possess Gemeinschaftsgefühl, or "social feeling." This word, coined by Alfred Adler, describes an interest and concern for the general well-being of other humans.

If all of this feels unattainable, remember that self-actualization is a process, not an endgame. There's no single point where you "should" end up on the journey.

"From a therapist's perspective, self-actualization is a constant work in progress," Egel says. "In our humanness, we are never going to stay completely the same."

Self-actualization is an admirable goal to work toward. If you live your life with purpose and authenticity and show concern for others, you're headed down the right track.

These tips can serve as additional guideposts along your way.

Practice acceptance

Learning to accept what comes - as it comes - can help you achieve self-actualization.

This might mean you work with situations as they turn out - such as a rainy day when you planned an outdoor event - rather than wishing things had happened in a different way.

It could also mean you get more comfortable accepting unknowns in your life. Or, maybe it means you try to avoid wishful thinking and look at things in more realistic ways.

Acceptance also refers to human experience. It's not always easy to like people who behave in unkind or problematic ways. You can, however, still extend compassion by recognizing that everyone has their own circumstances to deal with.

Remember: Accepting someone doesn't mean you have to spend your time with them.

Live spontaneously

To live with spontaneity, try enjoying each moment as it comes, without trying to worry about what you should do.

It might feel easy and safe to stick with what you know, but fight that urge. Take chances (within reason) and be open to trying new things.

Thinking back to your younger years can help you tap into your inner spontaneity. Maybe you used to roll down hills instead of walking along the footpath. Or you threw an impromptu picnic in the backyard, because why not?

Spontaneity can be as simple as taking a different route home or trying a food you'd never considered before. Your heart can be a great guide, so pay attention to any gut instincts you feel.

Get comfortable with your own company

Your relationships with friends, family, and romantic partners play an important part in your life. But it's just as important to nurture your relationship with yourself.

Pretty much everyone benefits from some occasional " me time." Some people may need more or less than others. How you spend this time may matter less than what you get from it.

Self-actualized people typically feel calm and at peace on their own, so aim to reconnect with yourself until you look forward to your moments alone as much as (or more than) the time you spend with others.

Appreciate the small things in life

This sounds like a cliche, but it's a key step to self-actualization. Take time to appreciate aspects of your day-to-day life that often go ignored in the busyness of living.

Think of things like:

a delicious meal

cuddles from your pet

good weather

a job you enjoy

Live authentically

This phrase gets thrown around a lot, but what does it really mean? Living authentically involves honoring your truth and avoiding things like dishonesty, manipulation, or denial of your needs.

This might mean worrying less about what other people think of you.

Instead of living according to what other people say or suggest you should do, you follow insight gained from personal experience and live according to the guidance of your heart.

You're also honest with yourself about your needs and desires. You respect the rights and needs of others, of course, but you work to achieve your goals as only you can. You work to maximize your potential, not someone else's.

Develop compassion

Self-actualized people have deep feeling for other living creatures. Their compassion extends beyond their immediate social circle and those they know in their daily life to humanity and the world as a whole.

Compassion comes more easily to some people than others.

If you struggle to understand and empathize with people who are very different than you, try learning more about people who have different life experiences through reading books or consuming other media produced by people from a different background.

Looking for more ways to build compassion? Try:

volunteering for charitable organizations or human interest projects

exploring ways to improve your community

calculating your carbon footprint and taking steps to make improvements

Talk to a therapist

Therapy can help you take steps toward any of your goals, and self-actualization is no exception. Plus, you don't need to be facing a mental health issue to seek therapy.

Wanting to develop compassion, spontaneity, and authenticity are totally acceptable reasons to seek therapy.

In therapy, you can also learn more about self-actualization in general terms, since the concept can be a difficult one to grasp.

Talk therapy, which most people just call "therapy," is actually one type of humanistic therapy (which Maslow helped develop).

If you'd like to dig a little deeper into spirituality or existential topics, though, consider exploring more specialized approaches like transpersonal therapy or existential therapy.

Committing to the process of becoming self-actualized can feel overwhelming. Try not to get too caught up in doing all the "right" things or holding yourself to impossibly high standards.

For what it's worth, Maslow believed true self-actualization was fairly rare. Egel agrees, asking, "How many people do you know who are living their life 100 percent true to themselves?"

Plus, past challenges or present life circumstances can make things like growth, self-reflection, and authenticity more difficult.

Finally, know that even the most self-actualized people still have room to grow.

"Growth never ends until the journey of life is complete," Egel says. "Reaching a point of self-actualization has to be maintained, just as a level of peak fitness must be maintained by consistent healthy habits and behaviors."

Recognizing this need for continued growth is also - you guessed it - part of self-actualization.

Self-actualization isn't a one-size-fits-all goal. No two people are exactly alike, so everyone will probably have a slightly different path.

It's also not something you can accomplish in a weekend.

True self-actualization may be more of a long-term (even lifetime) goal than a quick road to self-improvement. That said, working to maximize your potential and become your best self is a great way to lead a more fulfilling life.

So, while self-actualization might seem somewhat overwhelming, don't let that stop you. Take each day as it comes and keep an open mind.
Crystal Raypole has previously worked as a writer and editor for GoodTherapy. Her fields of interest include Asian languages and literature, Japanese translation, cooking, natural sciences, sex positivity, and mental health. In particular, she's committed to helping decrease stigma around mental health issues.

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Self-Actualization: What It Is and How to Achieve It

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Self-actualization can mean a lot of things depending who you ask. One of the most broadly accepted definitions comes from Abraham Maslow, a humanistic psychologist. He described self-actualization as the process of becoming "everything you are capable of becoming." Kim Egel, a San Diego therapist, similarly explains it as the "ability to become the best version of yourself."

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BECKHAM BANS DAUGHTER FROM SOCIAL MEDIA OVER BODY SHAMING 

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BECKHAM BANS DAUGHTER FROM SOCIAL MEDIA OVER BODY SHAMING 

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VICTORIA is worried about 'how cruel people can be' online

Harper will be the subject to body shaming when she is old enough for social media, Victoria wants to priorities that Harper is surrounded by 'nice friends' and has a good relationship with the family.

“She’s at that age where her body is going to start changing, but it’s about making sure that we communicate a lot as a family and she surrounds herself with nice friends.”

Victories commented after 2021 survey by Girlguiding found that 2 in 5 girls (40%) aged 11-16 un the UK felt insecure or less confident after seeing certain images online

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Victoria Beckham is worried that her and David Beckham’s daughter Harper will be subjected to body shaming when she is old enough to use social media.

The fashion designer revealed that the 10-year-old is not on social media currently, but she is concerned about “how cruel people can be”.

Victoria, 48, said that her priorities are to make sure Harper is surrounded by “nice friends” and has a good relationship with the family.

In a recent interview with Vogue Australia, the former Spice Girl said: “Harper isn’t on social media, so we don’t have to worry about [body shaming] just yet.

“But seeing how cruel people can be, yes it really does [concern me].

“She’s at that age where her body is going to start changing, but it’s about making sure that we communicate a lot as a family and she surrounds herself with nice friends.”

Victoria added: “But it is quite terrifying, I can’t lie.”

Her comments come after a 2021 survey by Girlguiding found that two in five girls (40 per cent) aged 11 to 16 in the UK felt insecure or less confident after seeing certain images online.

Elsewhere in the interview, Victoria revealed that Harper was disapproving of the miniskirts she wore during her time in the Spice Girls.

“She’s not one of these kids who are going out with a full face of makeup and a crop top,” the mother of three said.

“She actually said to me recently, ‘Mummy, I’ve seen some pictures of you when you were in the Spice Girls and your skirts were just unacceptable. They were just too short’.

“Then David piped up and said, ‘Absolutely Harper! They really, really were’. And she was actually quite disgusted at how short my skirts were.”

When asked if she was ever going to wear skirts as short as her mother did, Harper responded: “Absolutely not.”

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since the pandemic
-> Results show that girls need more support with their education, mental health a
-> Online harm has been exacerbated.

67% go girls and young women aged 7 to 21 feel more sad, anxious or worried as a result of the pandemic

71% of girls and young women aged 7 to 21 have experienced some form of online harm in the last year
->  girls have connected with others more while being online during the pandemic
-> They have however felt more self-conscious when on video calls and the majority have experienced some form of online harm such as hate speech, images that made them insecure about how they look

Online harms I've experienced in the last year 11-21 year olds
->82% any online harm
->45% images that made me insecure about my appearance

26% feel their parents or carers have a better understanding of the pressures young people face online.

Images online make me insecure because 11-21 year olds
->45% I don't look like the people in them
->52% everyone has the same body type
->60% they're unrealistic (airbrush, filters, cosmetic procedures)
->66% I feel pressured to look more like them
->78% everyone has the same 'perfect look'

'Social media is full of fakeness the puts people down and makes them want to be like others when you should be yourself' young women ages 19-21

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Former TOWIE star Charlie King told MPs how he suffers from body dysmorphia

He became 'obsessed' with his nose during lockdown and underwent a nose job

It 'didn't go to plan' and he 'went to the depths of my despair', he told MPs today

Ex-The Only Way is Essex (TOWIE) star Charlie King has revealed how a botched nose job plunged him into the 'depths of despair'.

The 36-year-old, who starred in the ITV reality TV show until 2013, opened up to MPs today about his battle with body dysmorphia.

Mr King told how he 'felt pressure to look a certain way' based on the reactions his posts got online.

The influencer, who now models his own clothing brand, claimed that he became 'obsessed' with his nose during lockdown, which had been broken when he was 18.

Mr King, who dated reality star Gemma Collins in 2012 before coming out as gay in 2014, added: 'The surgeon agreed, "we can improve that".

'And with my nature as a person, I was like "I've got the validation I need, let's do it".'

But he revealed that the nose job in July 2021, on London's Harley Street, 'didn't go to plan'.

He was left with scar tissue, a collapsed nostril and told he faced a 12-month long wait before it could be operated on again.

Mr King said: 'Every day of my life in that waiting period until I had surgery number two, I just had to get on with it.

'And I went to the depths of my despair, hence I've had to move back and live with mum right now, I couldn't earn money, I was depressed, I'm still not myself.'

He claimed he has been left with an 'obvious deformity', which will need to be fixed 'another time'.

WHAT IS BODY DYSMORPHIA?

Mr King detailed his struggled with body dysmorphia while speaking to a Health and Social Care Committee inquiry.

MPs are examining the relationship between people's perception of their body image and their physical and mental health to determine whether NHS services and Government messaging needs to be altered.

They are also looking into whether people who experience negative body image are drawn to surgery and if there is enough support and regulation in place to ensure patient safety.

In a session in March, Vamps guitarist James Brittain-McVey detailed how his stint on ITV's I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here worsened his anorexia.

Today, Mr King said: 'I didn't really know I had body dysmorphia. I just thought I was a very self-critical person and knew that I was quite compulsive.

'I felt these pressures to look a certain way because I'd seen through social media when people were responding to me the most is when I had my top off and a six pack.

'If I wasn't getting that validation it was this constant battle that I needed to keep like that.'

Body dysmorphia is an anxiety disorder that causes sufferers have obsessive worries about their perceived flaws.

It is thought to affect 0.5 per cent of people in the UK, one in every 200 people, but teenagers and young adults are the most likely to have it.

Mr King said his attention turned to his nose, which had been broken two decades ago, during lockdown when he was isolated and on his own.

He has previously shared on social media that he believed his nose was too big and lacked definition.

He told MPs: 'It was something that I just became obsessed with. It needs to change, I need to fix it, I need to go and see a plastic surgeon, so I did.

'And the surgeon agreed, 'we can improve that'. And with my nature as a person, I was like 'I've got the validation I need, let's do it'.'

The former reality star said: 'I think when you walk into a surgeon's office - I was always told I was quite a nice looking guy but it was never enough.

'And when I sat there, there was never any analysis on previous history, how my mental health had been in the past.

'Looking back now, if the surgeon had given me a different approach and actually said to me "you don't need this", or unless it's medical or something, "we need to make sure you're mentally prepared for this because this a big ordeal to change your face and it can have a big psychological impacts" - for some better, for some worse.'

Mr King said his nose job 'didn't go to plan' and he 'couldn't do anything about it'.

He said: 'There I was with scar tissue, collapsed columella and the surgeon was like 'we'll have to wait'.

'So every day of my life in that waiting period until I had surgery number two, I just had to get on with it.

Mr King added: 'I had to live with that and there was no resources apart from "we'll fix it in a years time, when you've healed".

'That year still us one of the most challenging periods of my life because I took a decision because I thought there was an improvement to be made.'

He called for there to be a period of time between consultations on plastic surgery procedures, with medics providing resources on mental health before Britons 'spend thousands of pounds on something which may or may not give you the results you are looking for'.

Mr King said plastic surgeons should put patients in touch with body dysmorphia charities.

Mr King said: 'Body dysmorphia is an appearance disorder.

'You need to make sure just because you're touching your nose for example, in my case, that was not going to be the start of something else because was I ever really going to be happy with my nose with my condition? Who knows?

'But now I have an obvious deformity with it which I will need to fix another time.'

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TOWIE star reveals his botched nose job plunged him into 'despair'

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Former TOWIE star Charlie King told MPs how he suffers from body dysmorphia He became 'obsessed' with his nose during lockdown and underwent a nose job It 'didn't go to plan' and he 'went to the depths of my despair', he told MPs today Ex-The Only Way is Essex (TOWIE) star Charlie King has revealed how a botched nose job plunged him into the 'depths of despair'.

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Call for regulation of non-surgical cosmetic surgery and warnings on retouched photos - BBC News

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Body dysmorphic disorder - Symptoms and causes

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This mental disorder causes persistent, intense focus, shame and anxiety over perceived body defects, often resulting in many cosmetic procedures as a fix.

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Quiestionaire

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Interview with mental health worker at MIND