There was a time when taking a selfie felt simple. No pressure, no retakes, no softening tools. Just you and your camera.
But slowly, filters slipped in. Smooth skin here. Brighter eyes there. A little glow, a little symmetry…and now the edited you starts to feel like the “real you.”
This is where Snapchat Dysmorphia begins.
This piece is the first part of a 5-week mini-series where we’ll be unpacking the intricacies of Snapchat Dysmorphia, what it is, why it’s rising, and how it slowly shapes the way we see ourselves.
It’s a growing phenomenon where people feel dissatisfied with their natural appearance because they’ve grown attached to their filtered images. Where one’s digitally polished face becomes the ideal, and your normal human face feels like it’s failing some silent beauty test.
It isn’t an official diagnosis, but it strongly overlaps with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), where people obsess over flaws that are tiny or entirely imagined.
The subtle shift is the real danger: Where one begins to trust the edited version more than the real one.
And it doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a quiet drift. Filter by filter. Selfie by selfie.
Until one catches themselves thinking: “Why don’t I look like this in real life?”
Your real face is fine…more than fine… but constant comparison tricks your mind into doubting it.
This is the quiet power of Snapchat Dysmorphia.
Food For Thought
If filters disappeared tomorrow, would you still feel comfortable posting your natural face?
Just something to gently ponder.
Next week, we’ll talk about what really causes Snapchat Dysmorphia and why it is becoming so common.
For the past three weeks, we have explored the God complex…what it is, the factors that contribute to its development, and the effects it can have on individuals and those around them. If you missed any of the previous posts, you can catch up via the link below. Part I
For the past two weeks, we’ve been discussing the God complex…what it is and the factors that contribute to its development. If you missed any of the previous posts, you can catch up via the link below. Part I – God Complex Part II – Causes of the God Complex Today,
If you missed last week’s post introducing the meaning of the God complex, you can find the link below.Part I – God Complex Today, we explore its origins. The God complex does not appear overnight. It develops gradually, shaped by layered influences, subtle at first, then reinforced over time. Childhood