Dating and Filters: Self-esteem and Confidence

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Since the rise of the smartphone, we have become used to using filters or slight photo-retouching when we want to look our best in a photo we post online, not everyone will do this but there is a growing number of people who do.

Nearly all of us are guilty of picking and choosing the best photo to add to our Instagram, the one with the best angle and lighting maybe helped by a filter or two. There is nothing wrong with this, you are just putting your best self out there online.

But is all of this hurting our confidence and self-esteem in the long run? And how does this tie into dating?

These “beauty filters” on social media (each platform tends to have its own versions) can have a negative effect on our mental health. Filters first appeared on Snapchat in 2015, I’m sure you remember the dog ears and tongue filter! They started out as a fun element to apps with others following. Like everything else on the internet, they have evolved. Find out more about the history of filters here.

We were no longer turning ourselves into fun characters, we could use filters to add makeup or subtly change our face shape. It is not always obvious right away when a filter is being used. I don’t think these beauty filters are intended to make us feel worse, but nevertheless, people have become dissatisfied with their own facial features aspiring to look like they do with these filters. This is a serious blow to their self-esteem. Experts have already found links between filter use and low self-esteem, confidence as well as a growing number of reports of body dysmorphia.

Body Dysmorphia

a mental health condition where a person spends a lot of time worrying about flaws in their appearance. These flaws are unnoticeable to others.

What has this got to do with dating?

There have been studies conducted on self-esteem and relationships, those with lower self-esteem tended to be more pessimistic and undermine their own happiness. Eventually leading to low relationship satisfaction (Robinson & Cameron, 2012). Additionally, there have also been studies conducted on swipe-based dating apps, Tinder was found to be linked with decreased face and body satisfaction and more body shame, as well as lower self-esteem (Holtzhausen et al, 2020).

A mental health issue

Combining trying to find yourself a date and navigate this world of social media there is no doubt that there is a growth in people with low self-esteem!

If this is something that affects you please don’t worry, there are multiple ways you can improve it. Please check out the links below for self-esteem support:

Mind: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/self-esteem/tips-to-improve-your-self-esteem/

NHS: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/self-help/tips-and-support/raise-low-self-esteem/

SelfHelp: https://www.selfhelpservices.org.uk/self-esteem/

 

Further Reading:

Holtzhausen, N., Fitzgerald, K., Thakur, I., Ashley, J., Rolfe, M., & Pit, S. W. (2020). Swipe-based dating applicaions use and its association with mental health outcomes: a cross-sectional study. BMC Psychology, 8-22.

Robinson, K. J., & Cameron, J. J. (2012). Self-esteem is a shared relationship resource: Additive effects of dating partners' self-esteem levels predict relationship quality. Journal of Research in Personality, 227-230.

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