活在滤镜时代的现代人

Before we upload a photo of ourselves to social media， chances are that well use an app to smooth our skin， make our eyes look bigger， and give us longer eyelashes and fuller lips.

With a couple of taps on our mobile phone， were able to get a quick fix and present the “best” version of ourselves to the world.

However， the problem is， when we simply edit our imperfections away， were also changing the way we look at ourselves.

Last year， researchers from the US Boston University School of Medicine published the article Selfies—Living in the Era of Filtered Photographs. The article analyzed photo editing apps bad impacts on peoples self-esteem and their potential to cause appearance anxieties.

The researchers also warned that such apps are blurring the lines between reality and fantasy. “These apps allow one to change his or her appearance in minutes and follow an unrealistic standard of beauty，” the article reads.

In the past， people may have compared their looks to those of celebrities. But for todays young people， beauty standards are most likely set by what they see on social media. “From birth， they are born into an age of social platforms where their feelings of self-worth can be based purely on the number of likes and followers that they have， which is linked to how good they look，” British cosmetic doctor Tijion Esho told The Independent.

This is why many young people suffer an identity crisis when it comes to how they look. “Now youve got this daily comparison of your real self to this intentional or unintentional fake self that you present on social media，” Renee Engeln， a professor of psychology at Northwestern University in the US， told the HuffPost website.

Engeln further pointed out that when people spend too much time making such comparisons; they may become “beauty sick” and find it difficult to accept what they actually look like. “Because between you and the world is a mirror， its a mirror that travels with you everywhere. You cant seem to put it down，” she told The Washington Post.

So when we look in a real mirror， we shouldnt think to ourselves， “Do I look as good as myself in the filtered photos？” Instead， we should think， “I feel good; I have my health.”

在社交媒体上晒照之前，或许我们都会用一款应用来一键磨皮，放大双眼，加长睫毛以及丰满唇形。

只需在手机上轻点几下，我们便能轻松地向全世界展现“最好”的自己。

然而，这么做的问题在于，简单地修图去掉自身瑕疵的同时，我们也改变了看待自己的方式。

2018年，来自美国波士顿大学医学院的研究人员发表了一篇题为《自拍——活在滤镜之下的时代》的文章。该文章分析了美图应用给人们的自尊所带来的不良影响，以及其让人产生外貌焦虑的潜在可能。

去年，研究人员也发出警告称，这类应用模糊了现实与虚幻的界限。“这些应用几分钟内就能改变一个人的外表，追求的是一种不切实际的审美。”该文章写道。

恩格尔恩进一步指出，当人们花费过多时间进行此类比较时，他们或许便患上了“美容病”，甚至很难接受自己真实的外貌。“因为立在你与世界之间的是一面镜子，它如影随形，无处不在，你根本无法放下它。”她在接受《华盛顿邮报》采访时说道。

所以当我们在照一面真实的镜子时，我们不能问自己：“我看起来和美颜照片里一样好看吗？”相反地，我们应该这么想：“我觉得很好，我有一种健康美。”

在过去，人们或许会将自己的相貌与名人进行比较。但对如今的年轻人而言，审美标准大多数都来自在社交媒体上看到的形象。“从出生的那一刻起，他们便在社交媒体的时代中成长。他们对于自我价值的认同或许仅仅是基于点赞数和粉丝量，而这又和外貌息息相关。”英国美容医师提吉欧·艾修在接受《独立报》采访时说道。

这便是许多年轻人在外貌上产生身份认同危机的原因。“如今你每天都会将真实的自我，与在社交媒体上有意无意地展示出的虛假形象进行比较。”美国西北大学心理学教授蕾妮·恩格尔恩在接受《赫芬顿邮报》网站采访时表示。

Word Study

blur /bl??/ v. 使变模糊

The street lights were blurred by the fog.

intentional /?n't?n??n?l/ adj. 故意的

Im sorry I left you off the list—it wasnt intentional.