One of the most clever Halloween couples costumes I saw this year was a husband and wife in an identical red dress and heels, the husband in a wig to match the wife’s hair, with he having hairy arms, chest and legs and in need of a shave.  She had a nametag that read “Filter”, he had one that said “No Filter.”

Not only are we becoming obsessed with social media and sharing photos of the best of ourselves, we try to further enhance our online perfection by adding in filters to give an even more unrealistic view of ourselves.  This can be harmful in many ways.

People are already self conscious, and low self esteem is quite common.  To make people feel even more insecure about how they look can lead to depression and body image disorders.  No one knows if a filter has been used or not.

As a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, I see a definite increase in patients seeking refinements of very small issues, especially in the face.  It is most definitely due to how they appear in photos on social media.

My advice is to live in the real world, stop wasting time worrying about how others look through filters, and see each other only face to face in person.  You might be surprised at how well you compare.