Face filters debuted on Snapchat in 2015 as a type of augmented reality which used artificial intelligence to map out facial features and alter them or provide overlays. Face filters give users the ability to instantly alter and edit their face in real-time and have become a prominent and popular feature on social media, including Instagram and TikTok. Multiple news sites from CNN to WebMD have reported on Snapchat dysmorphia, a new type of body dysmorphia triggered by Snapchat filters, where people seek cosmetic surgery to look more like filtered images of themselves. However, reports of Snapchat dysmorphia remain primarily anecdotal and effects of face filters, as well as motivations for using them remain largely unexplored. This thesis explored the relationships between face filters and body dissatisfaction and self-esteem, through the lens of Social Comparison Theory and acceptance of cosmetic surgery by conducting a mixed-method survey. The researcher found the primary motivation for filter use was appearance enhancement and that a positive correlation between face filter use and upward appearance comparison, as well as acceptance of cosmetic surgery, exists.
