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Facetune is the ultimate symbol of Internet perfection — and its critics have highlighted the very real danger to mental health that arises when it becomes normal to look ‘perfect’. Powered by Lightricks, it’s a photo editing app that allows users to remove all (perceived) imperfections and blemishes from their selfies so they have flawless photos to post on social media, and ‘tuned’ images quickly became ubiquitous online from 2015-2020. Last year, a study commissioned by phone case retailer Case24 found that 71% of people would not post a picture of themselves on social media without editing it first.
Other face filters, including the in-app functions available on Instagram, have been heavily used among influencers and more casual users of social media. And when time spent on social media peaked during Covid-19 lockdowns — with users spending on average 36% more time than usual on social platforms — the impact of constant exposure to unrealistic images also peaked.
Psychology professor…