Yes, I’m Talking to You. Day 340.

Filters have gone too far.

Yesterday I was working and noticed my work Google photo icon was especially blurry. I compared it to the original photo that I took and did not filter, and was surprised. I changed it immediately.

Scrolling through socials is quite peculiar these days. Many people on my feed, mostly women but not all, are blurred beyond recognition, slimmed to their bones, and even their face shape has changed. I wonder, however, if they are aware.

I remember when the filters first came out on Snapchat, which I stopped using for years due to the absurdity of it all. I tried a filter on a photo of me and was thrilled with what I saw. My face was clear, my eyes bright, but then I looked at my chin. They actually shaved some of it off. They slimmed my chin! Instead of making me feel good about myself, I became insecure about my face, and that feeling stuck around for awhile.

What’s worse and creepy to me, is when people use them on their children. It makes me uncomfortable. I’m not talking about the ones that turn you into a monster or make your face goofy, because those can be hilarious. I’m talking about the ones that are made to beautify a person.

Possibly this makes me a fuddy duddy or maybe this is the time in my life when I stop keeping up with the trends, but I just can’t hang with the filters. Why can’t we just be who we are and not go too far with it.

People compare it to makeup, but it’s way beyond makeup. It’s about portraying something different than when it’s in-person. It can’t be good for the ego. It just can’t.

So, if this is for you, you are beautiful without the blurry filters. Show your face and your blemishes and your giant chin. We’re all different, and that’s OK.