TikTok Trends and Body Image

TikTok is a popular social media platform that primarily allows users to share short videos. Recently, a couple of popular TikTok trends related to body image stood out to me, and I wanted to share my reflections on them and my experiences of trying them out. 

1. Facial symmetry challenge [1]

In this TikTok challenge, users activate a filter that inverts the image of their front-facing camera. Users record themselves quickly switching between the inverted and default view of their camera, which shows the symmetry of their face. Some creators have used this trend to show the symmetry of their face and head, while others have used it to show their asymmetries. 

When I tried out this trend, I noticed that some features on each side of my face were  shaped a bit differently  from  each other. While this was not a surprise, watching videos of others whose faces were nearly symmetrical made me question why mine was not the same. Reflecting more on how I felt trying out this trend, I was reminded that we all have asymmetries, and that is part of what makes each individual unique and beautiful. The symmetry of my face does not define my self-worth, and I value the differences on my face that make me who I am.

2. Long face filter challenge [2]

In this TikTok challenge, users use the “long face” filter, which makes the upper part of their faces narrower and the lower part of their faces wider. After keeping this filter on for 10-20 seconds, users remove the filter to reveal what they look like without the filter. On TikTok, many people comment that they feel better about themselves after taking off the filter, as their eyes look bigger and their nose looks smaller.

When I tried out this trend, I too found that taking off the filter made my eyes look bigger and my nose smaller than I remembered, and I liked that. Thinking more about why I felt that way, I realized that the trend enforces standards proposing  that noses should be tall, eyes should be big, and faces should be narrow. I was reminded that the proportions of my face do not dictate my self-worth and that I do not need to fit into any standard to feel good about myself. 

I choose to use social media because I think it is fun, and I enjoy connecting with other people and learning from them. I speak for myself when I say these trends made me feel unhappy, and I use these experiences as reminders  to check in with myself when I feel down after using social media. For me, this post is a reminder to myself that beauty standards perpetuated by TikTok trends do not define my value as a person.

References

[1] www.distractify.com/p/how-to-do-the-symmetrical-challenge-tiktok

[2] www.snapfont.com/long-face-tiktok-filter