Photo by InStyle
D
o you
remember
when only
magazines used filters? When you had to be a fashion model on the pages of Vogue to get that kind of treatment, and even then, you still thought they were just naturally stunning? Back then, editing was something reserved for glossy
spreads. Now, it feels like everyone has an editorial team in their pocket. Filters are in our phones, our apps, even our Zoom calls.
At first, it seemed
harmless… a touch-up here, a smoother complexion there. But somewhere along the way, the line between what’s real and what’s enhanced began to blur. Filters stopped being a fun edit and started becoming part of our identity. Even when we know a photo is filtered, we still use them. They’ve woven
themselves into our
daily lives.
Not long ago, I saw a viral Instagram post calling for filters to be banned. It showed two young women side by side. One photo filtered and one real. The difference was shocking. Their faces weren’t just softened; they were reshaped, transformed beyond recognition. They looked like two entirely different people, the kind of change that could confuse airport facial recognition. The comments exploded
Some called it dangerous for
self-esteem, others argued it was harmless fun or self-expression. But what struck me was how normal this distortion has become. We scroll through endless images, unsure what’s real anymore.
Photo Credit Cleo Vermij