A recent study published in BMC Psychology looked into how editing photos on social media platforms affects people’s self-image, self-esteem, and comparisons with others. The findings suggest that editing photos can negatively impact how individuals perceive their attractiveness and overall self-esteem.
This connection seems to be influenced by comparing physical appearance and treating oneself as an object. These results serve as a warning to social media users to be aware of the potential negative effects of using photo-editing tools or filters.
Nowadays, social media is widely used by millions of people to connect and share their lives. However, research suggests that excessive use of social media may lead to mental health issues like depression and anxiety.
One behavior that researchers have focused on recently is photo editing, which involves altering one’s appearance in pictures before posting them on social media. While some studies have suggested that photo editing is linked to negative outcomes such as seeing oneself as an object and having low self-esteem, the relationship between these factors is not well understood.
Phillip Ozimek and his colleagues conducted a study with 403 young adults recruited through social media platforms to investigate the potential risks associated with photo editing on social media. Participants completed an online survey that included questions about their social media use, photo editing behavior, self-perception as an object, comparisons of physical appearance, self-esteem, and other relevant factors.
To measure photo editing behavior, participants reported how often they edited their selfies before posting them on social media. To assess self-perception as an object and comparisons of physical appearance, participants answered questions about how much they monitored their bodies and compared themselves to others’ looks. Finally, participants’ self-esteem was measured using a questionnaire that evaluated their overall sense of self-worth.
The data showed that higher levels of photo editing were associated with increased self-perception as an object and more comparisons of physical appearance among young adults. These factors, in turn, were related to lower self-esteem.
The researchers suggested that photo editing behavior may contribute to feelings of self-perception as an object and basing one’s worth on appearance, especially among vulnerable groups like teenagers. They emphasized the need for further research to explore the impact of photo editing on mental health outcomes and understand why people engage in this behavior.
The study had some limitations, as acknowledged by Ozimek and his colleagues. Firstly, the data was collected through self-report measures, which may be biased. Secondly, the study design was cross-sectional, which means causality cannot be determined. Lastly, the sample size was relatively small and not representative of the entire population of adolescents who use social media.
This study highlights the importance of considering overall social media use and specific behaviors like photo editing when studying the relationship between social media and mental health outcomes. Interventions aimed at reducing excessive social media use or promoting healthier engagement with social media could have positive effects on the mental well-being of young people.
“Reality is more elusive as it appears on the surface,” the researchers wrote. “The depiction of reality is a constructive endeavor which is subject to concealed issues of the editors. The depiction of reality is usually not a documentary but part of a narrative which the photo editor intends to project on the public screen.”
“By understanding the underlying narrative, the contrast between natural appearance and edited photo of it is getting transparent. Because photo editing is likely to prevail in the future, the focus of psychoeducation as part of a psychological intervention technique should be a sensibilization for the widespread of use of corresponding techniques.”
The study, titled “How photo editing in social media shapes self-perceived attractiveness and self-esteem via self-objectification and physical appearance comparisons,” was conducted by Phillip Ozimek, Semina Lainas, Hans-Werner Bierhoff, and Elke Rohmann.
