Photo filters and desire to look ‘perfect’: A N.B. mom discusses social media with daughters

A New Brunswick mom is trying to teach her three daughters that when it comes to social media, what you see is not always the truth.

Mindy Moore, of Moncton, fears as image enhancing technology becomes more sophisticated, it could impact her daughters’ mental health.

“That is not how I look every day,” she said, while looking at a photo of herself that had a filter applied.

“I do fear the depression. I see that in adults so I am scared of what my daughters are going to be brought up in and trying to teach them that that is not what they need to look like.”

Simon Sherry,a professor of psychology at Dalhousie University and a clinical psychologist, has done research on the impact of social media exposure on youth.

“Exposure to these digitally-altered images seems to result in negative mood-like symptoms of depression as well as a sense of physically not looking good,” said Sherry.

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Sherry said the unrealistic images have been shown to play a role in eating disorders. He said that is why openly talking to your kids about how to spot digitally-altered images is so critical.

“We need to support our youth in becoming more savvy and critical consumers of these digitally-altered images,” he said.

One of Moore’s 13-year-old twin daughters, Dakota,

Moore’s twin 13-year-old daughters are well aware of the power social media photo filters can have.

“I see a lot of people using filters more now than it used to be,” said Dakota.

Her sister, Peyton, added that filters can alter the truth.

“Sometimes I think they can make them look better but most of the time I think they just look weird and make them look like a completely different person,” she said.

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Some platforms, such as TikTok, now indicate when a filter effect is in use.

“There are countries in Europe that have already adopted legislation that requires the identification of Photoshopped and otherwise digitally-altered images. I would say when it comes to Canada, I would support a vigorous debate on that topic,” said Sherry.

Meanwhile, Moore believes even that type of legislation won’t really stop sending youth the wrong message.

“I fear for the children and all these filters and how they have to look perfect,” she said.