šŸ¤³ Why do you filter your pictures?

SunsetSnugglesSunsetSnuggles
in General

Sup, peeps! šŸŒ…

This is a question that has popped up recently with a few cuddle friends, and I thought it might be enlightening to ask the community at large.

This is not a thread for people to bash those who filter their pictures, and it is not a place for anyone to complain about women not being what they project. (For the record, I've seen guys using AI pictures, which are even a step further.)

This thread is to genuinely ask the question why, and hear the answers. Because there are quite a lot of heavily filtered pictures (or what we used to call "edited", when it required individual work), on the site.

For those who don't know, a filter takes things like acne, sun spots, or wrinkles, and smooths them out or erases them; make-up is accentuated, or even appears when there was none; features like eyes and lips are enlarged, etc. It essentially airbrushes one into looking much more photogenic, young, and glamorous.

Here is an example of what a simple, instant filter can do:

The question that I hear whenever my cuddle friends bring this up is, "We will eventually meet them, and find out that they don't really look like that. So why filter the pictures?"

If anyone who filters is comfortable sharing their perspective, it would be appreciated!

Again, no attacks in this thread; keep it respectful, please. šŸ¤—

~ Sunset Snuggles

  1. Did you know that filtered photos were a thing?109 votes
    1. No...this is a shock!
        2.75%
    2. Yes, but I didn't think it was widespread.
      21.10%
    3. Yes, I see it here frequently.
      33.94%
    4. Yes, and I use filters.
      16.51%
    5. I just want to see the poll results.
      25.69%
Ā«13

Comments

  • CuddleDuncanCuddleDuncan Mod

    Good question. Good post.

  • PixiePassionsPixiePassions

    I refuse to use any serious filters (except for my one favorite devil filter on Snapchat that is very obvious and not sneaky, just for fun, and not ever for a professional setting.) I might use light color correcting, but never anything that completely changes my complexion. I have suffered from bad acne for the majority of my life, but why hide it if I'm going to meet someone in person eventually anyway?

    I don't even wear foundation. šŸ„“

  • ShaneSchruteShaneSchrute
    edited September 2023

    @SunsetSnuggles Guys use AI photos?Thatā€™s wild. I donā€™t understand that. I mean do totally understand not being comfortable with how I look and feeling vulnerable about my physical appearance. But even great AI doesnā€™t exactly do likeness very well.

  • [Deleted User]Concordiaesque (deleted user)
    edited September 2023

    Since I don't have pretty privilege, the body dysmorphia I've developed is in large part due to the rejection I have experienced from society. It makes it extremely difficult to look at pictures of myself (or have my video on in a zoom call) and not feel bad that I lost out on the genetic lottery, or have my brain try to convince me that I wouldn't have been abandoned (and people would notice/listen to me) if I was attractive.

    This has nothing to do with the way I feel about myself, (as in, please don't tell me to love myself more or that I have inner beauty) it's the things that have been said about my physical appearance throughout my life from unsolicited sources, and the way I am treated by others, both consciously and subconsciously. Society rejects the unattractive, and that's just a fact.

    I've seen studies showing how attractive babies are calmer and more adjusted because people want to pick them up more, hold them, comfort them, whereas the "ugly" babies are often left to sit and cry - they aren't picked up as much and are often left alone. (I don't remember the source, this was in a child development course in college - don't come at me)

    When I would use apps like snapchat, I would see a kinder image of myself that made me feel good. The image I wish other people would see when they look at me. If I look at pictures of me where I think I look good, I can almost forget the hurtful things people have said about the way I look. I feel good about myself. And it's easier for me to be kinder to myself when I feel good.

    I've tried explaining this to people over the years, but they just assume I'm fishing for compliments and assure me that a) I am attractive and b) if they were available they'd be interested in me - and that's not what I mean/want at all, but people rarely listen to understand.

    Appreciate the question and the opportunity to share my perspective :)

  • Minestrone101Minestrone101

    Why not? Im sure my avatar is like an immortal version of myself. lol.

  • JoyfulHeartJoyfulHeart

    I use a filter that makes everyone look like a pagoda. It's great, on so many levels.

  • TxTomTxTom

    My filter went a little overboard, imo.

  • ShaneSchruteShaneSchrute

    @TxTom youā€™ve catfished people with a blob fish photo. ;)

  • TxTomTxTom

    @ShaneSchrute Very true.

  • Jova114Jova114

    Ok ok I'll come clean.
    I don't really look like my pictures.
    I am actually 5 squirrels standing on each other's shoulders in a trenchant.

  • Carrie_AnneCarrie_Anne
    edited September 2023

    Iā€™ve seen comments about this in the Forum before.
    Hopefully viewers will manage their expectations.

    (edited after reading between the bold lines)

  • sunnysideupsunnysideup
    edited September 2023

    It might be the whole put your best foot forward thing. In other words, everyone else is doing it so I have to do it in order to not miss out.

    People do this with resumes (embellish as much as possible while remaining in the realm of truth, ie I worked front desk at at IT firm therefore I have tech experience type of thing)

    People do this with interviews (most people are probably not passionate about washing dishes at a restaurant but if you act less interested than the next guy, you might miss out on a job and a paycheck)

    People do it with dating apps even without filters (put up photos of yourself with the best lighting and your best clothes and your best smile)

    I guess the point is, everyone is putting their best foot forward and if you arenā€™t, you are operating at a diamsadvantage if youā€™re showing truly candid pictures of you. Even if you arenā€™t 100 percent as what is shown in your digital persona, if itā€™s still largely representative, Society considers it good enough.

    If the difference is too large, it might be result in disappoint and complaints. If you are better in person than how you represent, the other party will be positively surprised but good luck getting attention without some embellishing .

    I think because if this reason, pictures that ā€˜appearā€™ candid are most appealing because itā€™s showing the ā€˜realā€™ you more than pictures that appear over processed or staged.

    @Concordiaesque Pretty privilege is real. Hopefully youā€™ve also met mature people that see people more fully.

  • stormydaycuddlestormydaycuddle Mod
    edited September 2023

    I hate my freckles. My filters are never strong and only to get rid of them. Itā€™s not a huge change but it does make me feel a little better. So Iā€™m not exactly catfishing unless your goal was to cuddle someone with no freckles. In that case I deeply apologize for the deception.

  • Jova114Jova114

    @stormydaycuddle
    Don't hate on your freckles my friend

  • TxTomTxTom
    edited September 2023

    Agreed. Don't be dissing freckles. Some folks have paid upwards of fifty cents for freckle juice.

  • sunnysideupsunnysideup
    edited September 2023

    @stormydaycuddle I personally really like the look of freckles. I would be pleasantly surprised we met. But now I know so no more surprise :(

    But I also get it if it doesn't matter what others think. I have a few gray hairs that always bother me when I look in the mirror. My friends told me it was a non issue, that no one can see them anyway but I get them dyed at the barber anyway and it makes feel better when I look at myself in the mirror. So whatever gets you feeling good matters more.

    To whoever cuts my hair and reveals the greys below the dye, my apologies for the deception.

  • CharlieBearCharlieBear Mod

    I have a secret I must confess. I do not have an animated look to me in real life. I am so sorry for the deception.

  • PixiePassionsPixiePassions

    @Concordiaesque and @sunnysideup - I actually made a TikTok about pretty privilege (about 60 lbs ago, too), and it's silly... But I make a valid point in it. Very similar to what was said here.

  • stormydaycuddlestormydaycuddle Mod

    @Charlie_Bear You are as expected which is wonderful. Hugs. :)

  • TxTomTxTom

    pretty privilege

    That's a thing?

  • JohnR1972JohnR1972

    I donā€™t post photos here but I send them via DM to people I am communicating with. Personally, I would never filter a photo.

    I agree with Tom Cruise who has it in his contracts that his image can never be digitally altered to appear younger. In ā€œMission Impossible 7: Dead Reckoningā€ there is a flashback scene from 20+ years ago and one actor was digitally de-aged but Tom Cruiseā€™s character was shown with his face in shadows because he refused to let them de-age him for the movie.

  • [Deleted User]Concordiaesque (deleted user)

    @TxTom https://dailyfreepress.com/2022/03/02/pretty-privilege-is-real/

  • [Deleted User]Concordiaesque (deleted user)

    @PixiePassions they mention tik tok in the article I just mentioned - maybe yours was one of the ones they were referring to? lol

  • JohnR1972JohnR1972

    @sunnysideup

    People do this with resumes (embellish as much as possible while remaining in the realm of truth

    I had a friend in high-school who asked me to review his resume. He listed ā€œCustomer Service Representative for MGM Communicationsā€ as a job he had held for the past 3 years. He was an usher at the local movie theater šŸ˜‚

  • TxTomTxTom

    Oh.

    I thought it was just Darwinism and natural selection and all that other stuff.

    Is someone born with pretty privilege, or is it assigned?

  • [Deleted User]Concordiaesque (deleted user)

    @TxTom There's a line you have to stand on, and forms that need to be filled out, in triplicate.

  • Minestrone101Minestrone101

    @TxTom I thought you looked like actor Greg Kinnear before you started blobfishing people. lol.

  • TxTomTxTom

    @Concordiaesque

    There's a line you have to stand on, and forms that need to be filled out, in triplicate.

    Well, that sounds like it's going to take me a long time. I'll be a while, I guess. So long, and thanks for all the fish.

    Oh, never mind. My number is 42. Not too bad.

  • [Deleted User]Concordiaesque (deleted user)

    @TxTom just don't forget your towel, you hoopy frood.

  • TxTomTxTom

    blobfishing people

    That's a thing?

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