The social networks They have become an essential tool in our lives. According to the latest data provided by , 93% of young Spanish people between the ages of 12 and 24 have a profile on TikTok, Instagram or Twitter.
In addition, 95% of minors between the ages of 10 and 15 have used a computer or tablet in recent months. And 70% of them already have a mobile device.
But the massive use of social networks, and, above all, in children and adolescents, has led to the appearance of a new disorder: selfie dysmorphia.
He body dysmorphic disorder (TCD) is the excessive and disproportionate obsession with physical appearance, and is aggravated by the use of filters that are used, for example, in applications such as Instagram or TikTok.
As a study explains:
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“These potential patients frequently consult dermatologists and plastic surgeons, with the idea of improving their physical defects.”
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“The defects that are the object of concern are different, depending on the country and culture. Because sociocultural factors play an important role in the development of BDD.”
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“The root is that the media promote the ideal of the perfect body and satisfaction with body image, and in today’s society that has become a fundamental objective.”
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“The most serious consequence is that this concern can become pathological when it reaches irrational limits.”
Mireia Cabero Jounoua collaborating professor at the UOC’s Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, points out that “social networks, along with advertising, are the media that most favor the public display of bodies and their categorization. And it works well this categorization because in some way we have been its passive consumers and we have come to normalize it”.
But the search for perfection fostered by these very popular filters on social networks, and which offer an unreal image, has caused an increase in queries for aesthetic touch-ups.
As research has shown, there is a difference in the part of the body affected by gender:
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“In the women are the breasts, thighs and legs, the areas of greatest concern.
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Instead in men attention to the genitals, muscle mass and hair predominates”.
Therefore, Cabero points out that photos on social media are not a reflection of ourselves.
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“They are our best photos in our best moments and in the best positions, which makes us take a different dimension of our bodies.”
Selfie dysmorphia: symptoms and treatment
As already mentioned, adolescents are the most vulnerable to this new disorder, which would have the following symptoms capable of setting off alarm bells:
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Unsafety.
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Low self-esteem.
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Comparison with others.
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Looking compulsively in the mirror.
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Excessive use of makeup.
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Excessive cleanliness
As he explains Montserrat Lacalle Sisterécollaborating professor at the UOC’s Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, “at this stage, comparison with others is essential.”
Learning to accept yourself is vital, and social networks in this sense only bring dissatisfaction
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“You are looking for groups of equals, you are looking for your place. External references are very important. If in that search you have references that are not real, we are lost: you compare yourself with something that does not exist and your level of demand is tremendous”.
And selfie dysmorphia can make BDD cases even worse. “Because they show us something that is not perfect as an ideal, especially since it is not real. I am not comparing myself to the model with the perfect body, but to a montage of photoshop“.
And in the end, things get so complicated inside our heads that body dysmorphic disorder ends up needing the help of a professional with whom you can work on self-acceptance.
The intervention of a psychologist is key to gaining self-esteem and self-perception.
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“We have a social responsibility to protect adolescents. Learning to accept oneself is vital, and social networks in this sense only bring dissatisfaction. You have to take care of your mental health and learn to manage conflicts by seeing social networks for what they are, a world of appearances.”