Filter generation: erasing imperfections or dulling personality?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.34630/tth.v6i1.7312Keywords:
Social Media, Self Image, Filters, Peer Pressure, Influencers, Artificial InteligenceAbstract
More than just platforms for sharing, social media has the ability to shape how we perceive both the real and the digital. In this context, unrealistic expectations are created regarding what is authentic and what is constructed to align with algorithmic dynamics. The constant exposure to filtered, edited, and strategically produced content influences how we interpret reality, often leading users to adopt standards and expectations that do not reflect the real world.This dynamic is particularly evident among younger generations, who grow up in an environment marked by digital validation and constant comparison. This article argues that digital filters, visually enhanced content, and artificial intelligence tools contribute to the normalization of unrealistic beauty standards among adolescents, because they make visual manipulation more accessible, more subtle, and harder to recognize; therefore, digital literacy, parental guidance, and critical education about AI become essential to protect self-image and promote a healthier relationship with appearance.
References
Alkahazraji, R. (2025). Beyond the screen: The role of social media and family influence in shaping body image and eating behaviors. Middle East Current Psychiatry, 32, Article 34. Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43045-025-00527-9
Boerman, S. C. (2020). The effects of the standardized Instagram disclosure for micro- and meso-influencers. Computers in Human Behavior, 103, 199–207. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2019.09.015
Chatzidakis, A., & Lee, M. S. W. (2013). Anti-consumption as the study of reasons against. Journal of Macromarketing, 33(3), 190–203. https://doi.org/10.1177/0276146712462892
Dane, A., & Bhatia, K. (2023). The social media diet: A scoping review to investigate the association between social media, body image and eating disorders amongst young people. PLOS Global Public Health, 3(3), Article e0001091. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0001091
Fardouly, J., & Vartanian, L. R. (2016). Social media and body image concerns: Current research and future directions. Current Opinion in Psychology, 9, 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2015.09.005
Fioravanti, G., Bocci Benucci, S., Ceragioli, G., & Casale, S. (2022). How the exposure to beauty ideals on social networking sites influences body image: A systematic review of experimental studies. Adolescent Research Review, 7, 419–458. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40894-022-00179-4
Gordon, C. S., Jarman, H. K., Rodgers, R. F., McLean, S. A., Slater, A., Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, M., & Paxton, S. J. (2021). Outcomes of a cluster randomized controlled trial of the SoMe Social Media Literacy Program for improving body image-related outcomes in adolescent boys and girls. Nutrients, 13(11), Article 3825. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13113825
He, Z., Li, Y., Zhao, Q., Sun, J., & Zhang, X. (2025). Self-discrepancy: The discrepancy between digital identity and real identity on social media and its psychological impact. Communications in Humanities Research, 59, 137–146. https://doi.org/10.54254/2753-7064/2024.22811
Holland, G., & Tiggemann, M. (2016). A systematic review of the impact of the use of social networking sites on body image and disordered eating outcomes. Body Image, 17, 100–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2016.02.008
Huang, S., Lai, X., Li, Y., Wang, W., Zhao, X., Dai, X., Wang, H., & Wang, Y. (2023). Does parental media mediation make a difference for adolescents? Evidence from an empirical cohort study of parent-adolescent dyads. Heliyon, 9(4), Article e14897. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14897
Lawton, M. (2025, 8 de janeiro). 'Maybe you'll realise what you have is good enough': Why influencers are facing a pushback. BBC Culture. https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20250107-why-the-pushback-against-influencers-is-growing
Milli, S., Carroll, M., Wang, Y., Pandey, S., Zhao, S., & Dragan, A. D. (2025). Engagement, user satisfaction, and the amplification of divisive content on social media. PNAS Nexus, 4(3), Article pgaf062. https://doi.org/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgaf062
Rajanala, S., Maymone, M. B. C., & Vashi, N. A. (2018). Selfies-Living in the era of filtered photographs. JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery, 20(6), 443–444. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamafacial.2018.0486
UNESCO. (2023). Guidance for generative AI in education and research (F. Miao & W. Holmes, Authors). UNESCO. https://doi.org/10.54675/EWZM9535
Valenti, L. (2021, 9 de novembro). “Social media is not real”: Bella Hadid opens up about her anxiety and depression. Vogue. https://www.vogue.com/article/bella-hadid-anxiety-depression
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 The Trends Hub, Revista de Tendências em Comunicação e Ciências Empresariais
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
