Psychoanalyst and co-founder of the Observatory of Digital Worlds in the Human Sciences, Michaël Stora is the author of (a)social networks (Larousse, 2021). He returns to the potentially perverse effects of filters allowing you to modify your appearance on social networks.
From “Bold Glamour” to “Face Puzzle” or “Aged”, how do the popular filters on TikTok and Instagram influence our self-image?
Each filter has its specificities. Some, following the logic of those launched by Snapchat, have a playful and creative side: we play with our image like at a masked ball, by showing ourselves with and without a mask. We can see a positive side in this form of self-deprecation which goes against any form of idealization. On the other hand, other filters, including “Bold Glamour”, use very impressive artificial intelligence techniques to erase any roughness in the appearance. Along the way, everything that makes us different disappears, resulting in a standardized face, an ideal self.
Can the use of these become addictive?
Neuroscience has shown that anything that is experienced as beautiful or cute has a calming effect on the human psyche. This causes a discharge of dopamine, the hormone of reward and immediate pleasure which acts like a powerful anxiolytic. This is why there are so many kittens and babies on social media. The use of filters promising a perfect face and smoothed features can therefore become addictive, the algorithms find this a good way to retain you.
For adolescents in the process of constructing their identity, what could be the danger?
The challenge is this: how can I exist and build myself in the eyes of others when I step outside of this digitally manufactured ideal self? The most fragile may develop difficulty facing the real world. Concerns and psychological suffering appear all the more as the models offered on social networks, whether through filters or influencers, give them the idea that they do not look like what they want. In addition to eating disorders, there is a risk of developing an obsessive disorder called dysmorphophobia due to filtering oneself. Any imperfection then becomes unbearable. This undoubtedly contributes to the growing use of cosmetic medicine and surgery among 18-30 year olds.
How could the respective places of the real and virtual bodies evolve?
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