People have always the dream of getting the beauty of celebrities. This practice is not new, but it is in fashion for a long time and this is more followed by teenagers. They follow the latest trend of clothes, makeup, accessories, and so on, and try to incorporate those in their own fashion. There are certain desperate teens always who even want to go through plastic surgery to get the look of their favorite celebrity. But, this was a practice of the previous era. Nowadays, they don’t want to look like any celebrities, but they want to look like their pictures on Snapchat, using filters. And that’s why they are visiting the plastic surgeons and cosmetic surgeons to get the types of look that they get on Snapchat by using filters. And this tendency is known as ‘Snapchat Dysmorphia’.
As the young generation is using social media so much, this condition is getting really viral and soon it has turned into ‘Body Dysmorphia’. According to the famous plastic surgeons, teenagers are coming to their chambers nowadays with filtered photos of themselves and ask to turn them into something unrealistic self of themselves. Doctors say that the pictures they get are full of certain types of lightning or features which are not possible to be done in reality. But, the teenage people are so much fantasizing that they are often suffering from Snapchat Dysmorphia.
Is Snapchat Getting on the Mind of the Teenagers?
According to some studies, it has been seen that many people, especially the teenagers are falling for the fascinating filters of the Snapchat and they wish to get that look in reality. Such a demand not only takes a toll on their physical health but also on their mental health. Young people hate their body in every way and they get determined to change the parts as per the filters on Snapchat. The condition is getting deteriorated and they are suffering from BDD (Body Dysmorphic Disorder).
BDD is a kind of mental illness which affects the mind and leads it to think distressful thoughts about your look. You feel disrespectful about yourself as you think you are ugly. Such thoughts reduce the confidence level in you and you always stay back from doing anything positive in life. A sense of depression engulfs you and finally, you find Snapchat a remedy where you can present yourself as you want to the world. The more you get indulged into such thought, the more you will get inclined to plastic surgery.
Soon, you will find imaginary imperfections in you and rush to plastic surgeons to rectify those areas. The practice has increased so much that the doctors are seeing potential risk to the physical and mental health of the next generation. The obsession with their look is taking them nowhere as such thoughts are only interfering in their regular lifestyle. Teenagers, suffering from Snapchat Dysmorphia, not only hate their body but also find ways to rectify those parts as per the filters they use on Snapchat. Living always in a make-believe world only makes them sink into more frustration. According to researches, it has been proved that both male and female teenage people are suffering from this mental ailment.
Symptoms of Body Dysmorphia
How to know that your teenage son or daughter is suffering from Body Dysmorphia? Here are the symptoms that you should be aware of-
- Always preoccupied with the thoughts of how they look and also looking for perceived flaws in him/her while there are actually no flaws or something minor.
- Thinking that others will only notice those flaws in you and mocking you always.
- The strong perception that you have some serious defect in you and that makes you deformed and ugly.
- Getting into activities that can make you hide or perfect your imaginative imperfections, like checking mirrors repeatedly, picking skin, or getting a regular makeover.
- Concentrating more on styling, makeup, and clothes to hide your perceived imperfections.
- Always comparing yourself to the others and finding yourself to be the ugliest in the group.
- Always seeking reassurance about your look.
- Using too many cosmetic products to improve your imaginary flaws.
- Avoiding social gatherings.
- Getting lower confidence
- Staying too much preoccupied that other essential things of life, like work, school, college, study, career, relationships, all get ignored.
What Are the Causes of BDD?
Though the specific causes are yet to discover, the main cause of BDD is often considered the excessive use of social media. Teenage people have the tendency to look awesome on social media and Snapchat gives them the opportunity to play with their real looks. Now, sometimes that tendency becomes an addiction and young people are suffering from BDD. Still, there are certain causes are found behind BDD-
- Genes– There are certain studies that show this disorder is quite common in those who have a family history of suffering from BDD earlier.
- Brain Differences– Any abnormalities in the brain or in the neurochemistry can cause BDD. Any other types of psychiatric disorders, like anxiety attacks or depression, can be the predominant cause of BDD.
- Environment– Besides the above causes, the environment, culture, life experience, etc. play a crucial role in causing BDD in many of the young people today. Any history of childhood abuse, trauma or teasing can also be the reason.
How to Prevent BDD Affecting You?
Actually, till now there are no remedies or proper treatment has been discovered to treat BDD. Still, consulting specialists at an early stage can prevent this disorder to get deeply rooted. Usually, teenagers suffer the most from BDD. That’s why; it is the parent’s duty to check out whether they are already suffering from anxiety, stress or depression.
Snapchat is really an amazing app to take snaps and add wonderful filters to it before sharing in the social media. But, nothing is good at the level of addiction. If you notice your kid is getting too much into any social media, it is time to restrict them to keep them away from any such mental disorder like BDD.