TikTok has given rise to a whole different form of content creation. It pushes the boundaries of creativity in editing and content in a mere 60 seconds; it’s even moved the music industry in such a way that a song is only as good as it goes viral on TikTok and births “viral challenges”. Unfortunately, as with all things, there are rather terrible, detrimental effects of such challenges. One, in particular, is the effect of a TikTok filter on mental health.
What is the filter?
The Tiktok filter in question is the “Inverted Filter”.
How does it work?
TikTok’s Inverted Filter allows you to flip whatever you’re filming so that everything is the opposite way around. If done on your surroundings, you get some pretty cool effects.
@laubster_mediaTrying this on another drift video ##inverted ##invertedfilter ##nissan ##silvia ##s13 ##r32 ##s13silvia ##r32skyline ##cartok##cartiktok ##drifttok ##Satisfy♬ original sound – LaubsterMedia
But if you do it while filming yourself, it’s apparently said to “how you what you actually look like” or, “you” as others would see you. The filter in question has actually been around for a while, but gained traction again after singer Olivia Rodrigo released her track, ‘Deja Vu’. The challenge, known as the ‘Deja Vu Challenge’ sees TikTokers quickly tapping the filter on and off in order to mimic elements of her music video.
How does it affect mental health?
To start off, have you heard of the “Golden Ratio’? It’s one of the many, many unrealistic beauty standards that continue to plague us today.
For centuries, artists used an equation to map out their artworks. In recent years, scientists went on to see if this formula could be used to explain why some people are perceived as “more beautiful” than others. Thus, the ‘ideal face’ was measured to be length one and a half times the width of one’s face. In this way, an unrealistic beauty standard – whereby having a face that is as symmetrical as possible is considered “ideal” – was born. Now, the “Inverse Filter” reveals that a lot of the time, faces are asymmetrical (having parts that do not perfectly mirror the others in shape, size, or arrangement). This has led to many feeling inadequate and brought up insecurities in many. Ben Lee, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon and leading expert in anti-ageing surgeries at WAVE Plastic Surgery Center said to POPSUGAR:
“Seeing something different than how we see ourselves can create discomfort. There is actually a study that showed that women perceive their mirror image as more attractive than their inverted image.”
And that is reflected in the many, many shocked, horrified and downright heartbroken TikToks that make up quite a majority of the clips with the Inverse Filter.
@joannafayschmid##invertedfilter the fact that that’s how ppl really see me ??♬ deja vu – Olivia Rodrigo
With that being said, it is important to make a conscious choice to reject and curate the content that you consume and see. Long-press a clip and select “Not interested” to see less content that could potentially affect your self-esteem, self-worth and mental health. While it may seem like a cumbersome move, in the grand scheme of things, you could potentially be making a HUGE change in the way you perceive yourself and treat yourself. Being constantly bombarded with these unrealistic standards will cause even the most self-assured and confident individual to feel as if they “don’t fit in” or “aren’t as attractive” as what they see on social media.
But reminder this…
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*Cover image credits: Photo by Hello I'm Nik on Unsplash / @mirrorsreflectyou
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