Overview
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ASSIGNMENT: Please respond substantially to 3 classmate's posts.
Delana:
Professor Renee Engeln's point about how Snapchat Dysmorphia has caused people to lose perspective of how they look in reality resonated with me. I foudn that important because it insinuates that when those people look at tehir Snapchat filtered versions of themselves, they see that version as their true appearance. That would also mean that when they look in the mirror and see their less-than-perfect reflections, that real version of their appearance would seem wrong to them, something they would need to change.
This stood out to me because, before I quit social media several years ago, I used to use phone filters on my selfies before posting them and it made me hyperaware of my appearance in real life. After a point, I simply quit social media, and that action made me happily accept my real-life appearance. After that experience, it is terrifying to think how Snapchat Dysmorphia actually pushed some people to the extreme of attempting to get plastic surgery to resemble those filtered versions of themselves.
My first question about the article is: How do plastic surgeons know for sure that their patients' desires to fill their wrinkles, lips, and such are due to Snapchat's negative influence? I ask because many adults were getting those procedures done before Snapchat became popular. For my second question, I wonder: What are the legal issues already linked to Snapchat and plastic surgery if they are not about how the Snapchat filters are influencing the surgeries?
I believe the article's connection with this week's readings include how or if Snapchat Dysmorphia is a social problem. I do not think it can be labeled as a social problem yet. The article seems more like a warning to plastic surgeons about needing to check their patients for body dysmorphic disorder before agreeing to perform surgical procedures on them. Furthermore, it describes how one in 50 Americans experience this disorder but does not say that this many Americans are experiencing it because of Snapchat. It only mentions a few patients and doctors in the article, which leads me to believe there are not enough people to qualify this as a social problem yet.
A social problem can only be a social problem if it has the objective and subjective components. As for the objective component, Snapchat has negatively impacted the body image of many people. However, the subjective component would require this knowledge to be recognized by the general public, but I do not think enough people see Snapchat as the problem.
Frank:
I find this article to have a lot of truth behind it, as I can relate personally to social media dysmorphia. What stands out to me is the perception that everyone online will appear to have no flaws. I used to fall victim to this when I first began working out in the gym and watching/following "influencers" to understand better how to work out properly. I quickly began to compare myself to these people and had negative thoughts about my appearance. A lot of gym influencers will use the filters mentioned, but also go as far as to photoshop themselves to appear bigger or leaner. Another problem with social media is the fact that steroid use to very prevalent, and this leads to false aspirations as to what you can achieve naturally. After starting to see my own "gains," I decided it wasn't healthy to ever compare myself to anything I see online, and I learned to love the process of building myself up. Social media only portrays people's favorite photos and experiences, and you can quickly forget that these people also have their own insecurities. Comparison is the thief of joy; understanding this brings relief in all aspects of life, not just appearance. The questions that arose for me after reading this article are: why do we naturally want to compare ourselves to everything we see on social media? How do we solve the issue of BDD that is so common now, and what can be done to protect minors from forming these disorders in adolescence? Social media started as a way to show friends and family what is going on in your life, pretty or not, and somehow dissolved into only showing off with the help of filters, photoshop, and more. I personally don't post on any social media but use it now to keep up with friends or motivation when I need it.
Brook:
This week's reading we have learned about social problem. In the article, Is "Snapchat Dysmorphia" a Real Issue? , it states that social media (primarily snapchat and instagram) are having negative impacts that affect most users - especially heavy users of social media. Social media usage is skewing individuals own perception of their physical appearance due to filters and edits. A large number of individuals are already being affected as stated in the article, "...that the common man is losing perspectives on what he/she actually looks like ...". This falls into the definition of social problem.
However, alike the chapter stated, social problem can undergoing continuity and change. This article was published 2018 and since then social media has only become more invasive into everyone's lives. The average screen time for adults in America is 7 hours and 3 minutes! Social media usage can be considered a persistent issue as well. Technology will only continue to advance and therefore social media (and anything alike) will most likely continue on indefinitely. However other countries, such as Australia and France, have became to introduce change. They have banned minors of specific ages and under to no longer have the ability of have social media accounts. The textbook sheds hope that any social problem can experience change - hopefully with a positive wave of affects, however I do not know that I am very hopeful. Technology will continue to advance so even with bans and restrictions, there will always be some form of social media to go to. Online portals and forums where individuals around the world can communicate and share. Unfortunately, I believe this social problem will not end without major changes that I do not feel is possible.
Lastly, it is shocking that the article shines a light onto a possible issue of individuals having unachievable goals for their physical appearance - this is especially concerning with the options of plastic surgery and altering your appearance permanently. I also would like to point out that the article was published in 2018, I would be interested in seeing the statistics of individuals having body dysmorphia.
What is the statistic of users under the age of 18 on various social media platforms? What about under the age of 14? Should social media be banned indefinitely? Do you think this could ever happen?