2 hours ago
2
Name: Photo filters.
Age: About 15.
Appearance: Depends who is using them.
I don’t know what you mean. Well, it’s simple. Are you one of the incredibly intelligent men who use filters, or one of the very stupid women who use them?
Whoa! I think you might need to explain yourself. You know, photo filters. The things that alter your appearance on social media to make you look thinner, or better defined, or just generally more beautiful.
Yes, I know what photo filters are. I mean explain yourself about being really sexist. Oh calm down, I’m just telling you the news.
In a really sexist way. I’m sorry, but these are the facts. Spanish researchers asked 2,748 people to make snap judgments about how people of all ages, genders and ethnicities looked with and without attractiveness filters.
Right. When shown pictures of men with filters applied, men and women were more likely to rate them as intelligent and trustworthy.
And? And when shown pictures of women, men tended to judge them as less intelligent after a filter was applied.
Your point is? It’s that handsome men are clever and pretty women are not.
Really? Oh, what, you think centuries of social conditioning has taught men to assume that attractive women inherently lack intelligence?
I mean, yes, a bit. Yeah, you’re probably right.
So what’s the conclusion? Is it that women shouldn’t use filters, because changing their appearance online tricks men into finding them beautiful?
No. That’s the same as you wearing a hat on your Tinder profile to stop women from seeing how little hair you have. Try again. Fine. Is it that the cultural attitudes and stereotypes surrounding gender roles and expectations are extremely unfair and that we should try harder to address this?
There you go. But also, doesn’t the growing use of photo filters serve only to reinforce the notion that people cannot hope to live up to the unrealistic beauty standards that society places on them, which is bound to increase their feelings of inadequacy and depression?
Now you’re getting it! And that maybe we should ban photo filters for good?
Hey, hey, don’t be rash. Why? Because wanting to look more attractive is a basic human need and filters are really no different from makeup or grooming?
No, because I like the one that turns your face into a dog and gives you waggly ears. Yes, I like that one, too. I take it all back.
Do say: “Filters reinforce harmful gender stereotypes.”
Don’t say: “But they also give you killer cheekbones, so what’s the problem?”
