Adele’s (fake) face said it all: Why we need to talk about non-consensual beauty filtering

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “I don’t look bad,” she says, “but my brain has become so accustomed to seeing my face morphed into this plastic, smoothened version of myself.” A study conducted by City, University of London, found that 90 per cent of women polled have used filters because they felt pressure to look a certain way on social media. But it becomes problematic when the filters are designed in a way to perpetuate and conform to narrower beauty standards, which are related to appearance based on stereotypes and gender norms.” On top of altering the complete structure of a person’s facial features, many filters are also designed to lighten the skin of those in the picture. “When people have poor body image, they’re more likely to be at risk for disordered eating, and much more likely to consider invasive cosmetic procedures, which come at medical and financial risk,” Diedrichs says. “They’re more likely to experience low self esteem, anxiety and depression.” It also means that putting a filter on someone else’s picture isn’t automatically as harmless as you might think.