3 Things to ask yourself before putting a filter on your photos
Published on January 29, 2025

Snapchat offers clear, flawless, soft, natural skin and golden hour. Instagram has an essence, feels like home, and offers fresh, clean beauty. Enter VSCO, HUJI, and TEZZA – other apps that promote filtered, edited photos as forms of self-expression.
We immerse ourselves in a virtual reality bubble without even realizing it, because social media’s influence is normalized and our culture so visual. Perhaps filters on our selfies were our first introduction to an increasingly AI-infused reality. The temptation is real. If our feeds are extensions of our lives broadcasted for others to see, shouldn’t they be the best?
Posting a perfected version of your life almost seems one step closer to achieving it. Who wouldn’t be tempted to project flawless skin? Who doesn’t want to feel at home in both her living space and her own body? Wouldn’t everyone want to feel clean and naturally golden?
With a simple filter on your photos, you can (look like you) have it all!
Or can you?
Before you artificially alter your image and send it out on socials, consider these three questions.

1. What are you hiding or attempting to hide?
Using filters can smooth out that scar, hide that zit, enlarge your lashes, and more. Filters may hide the little things you dislike about your appearance, but applying a filter does not create lasting confidence. It can even move the viewer to become more insecure about her own features, comparing your filtered image to her own real appearance.
Ultimately, using filters can turn into preferring the “filtered” or augmented reality version of yourself to your true self.
Filters cannot change insecurities; rather they exacerbate them. The more we use filters, the more we become dependent on them and dislike our appearance. We may undergo a process of self-objectification.
Maybe the underlying draw is wanting to feel confident, desirable, and beautiful, rather than make real changes in our behavior or mindset that would make us actually become confident
True security comes from self-possession, not outward appearance. Instead of fixating on the beauty you want to possess, focus on the beauty you naturally have! If you have deep-seated insecurities, make sure you talk to someone else about them (and maybe get off of social media altogether for a while!).

2. Who are you trying to impress?
Posting doctored photos only can be not only superficial but also stressful.
According to recent studies, women use social media in a more emotionally-damaging way than men. Women prefer photos with “upwards” instead of “downwards” comparisons, meaning they consume more content that reflects the life they want rather than the life they have.
Not surprisingly, according to the same studies, women also tend to feel more negative after using social media than men do.
These patterns contribute to the cycle that breeds thoughts like “I am not enough” and “I will be happy only if…”
They also contribute to filter-temptations – women look at photos of lives they wish they had, and post more photos of the self they wish they were.
After you post with the filter, do you feel good about yourself? Or are you anxiously waiting to see how many likes come in?
“Likes” online increase dopamine in our systems, which makes us feel happier – the equivalent of an emotional sugar high. The crash can be devastating when problematic social media use is linked to depression and women are basing those dopamine hits on their self-worth.
Instead of competing with others online or searching for validation, surround yourself with people in person who already value you. Those people choose to be with you… unfiltered.

3. When you put the filter on, do you feel more like yourself or are you playing “influencer”?
Today, anyone can be an influencer. With this mentality, we often hold ourselves to the standards influencers create, even if we don’t have the resources they enjoy.
Resources like:
- social media being our full-time (and only) job
- quality cameras,
- a video production team,
- and great lighting.
Essentially, when we try to play at being influencers, we set ourselves up for unrealistic expectations. Remember, social media influencers present a curated life, not real life. They make a living showcasing the most beautiful moments and thoughts.
The role of influencers is not just to be aesthetically pleasing or inspirational (which is good); they also run a business.
This business profits on us and our aspirations. Sometimes, the business benefits us – inspiring us to live better, happier, and more meaningful lives. But there is a dark side, too: We fixate on what we don’t have, or look like, rather than being grateful for our own lives.
If you find yourself fixated on filters, maybe ask yourself if you’ve gone over to the dark side of influencer culture. If yes, turn off that filter!
We risk living our lives online, trying to one-up and showcase our best moments.
The biggest sign of being content with your life is that you can live happily in the present moment, no matter what the circumstances. This peace does not need to be broadcasted or augmented with filters. It shines through you when you interact with others and go about your day-to-day activities.
Great article!!!