#NoFilter Series Conclusion: Critical & Speculative Design to Prevent Further Damage

Are you happy to be a part of social media?

I may say that I dislike it, but that doesn’t stop me from using it daily because of fear of missing out.

Social media is fun, right? It makes our lives more amusing and helps us keep up with friends, right? What happens when the platform becomes less about socializing and more about glamorizing? As we discussed previously in this series, back in 2015, the puppy face filter and barfing rainbows were fun applications of Augmented Reality. They were never seen as a threat to our perception of beauty or something that can be potentially affecting society’s mental health.

Yet, in just six years, face filters that allow us to change our ethnicities, and morph our facial structures have emerged. Before we knew it, cosmetic surgeons had recognized a condition called Snapchat Dysmorphia. This tells us something: seemingly simple or fun applications of technology can change their course rapidly and drastically. According to a survey conducted by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) in 2019, 72% of AAFPRS members report patients seeking cosmetic procedures to look better in their selfies, up 15% from 2018!