A preliminary investigation of project SatisFACE of the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University and of Cussb (University Center for Statistics for Biomedical Sciences) gives us alarming data on the topic of the digital image of the new generations.
The Italian pilot study aims to explore the theme of digital images with research focused on the face. And it reveals that out of 120 children aged 12 to 16 in our country 49,2% of the boys edit the photos he wants to post on social media. And he inserts them retouched.
Filter generation
According to the analysis, the social media most used by young people are WhatsApp (92,5%), Tiktok (88,3%), Instagram (76,7%) e YouTube (75%). 65,9% of the interviewees declare that they spend there up to 4 hours a day, which experts say can lead to increased anxiety about physical appearance and the urge to produce retouched photos. Only 25,4% is satisfied with the first shot, while 36,8% delete 2 to 5 selfies among those taken.
Most retouched photos involve altering physical features and using fun filters, but that's not all. Students also express concerns about the inappropriate use of photos shared on social media. Images that can be "tampered with/retouched" for purposes other than the original ones (web related anxiety).
The web invaded by retouched photos: the implications
According to experts, “depression and appearance anxiety are the problem. They are greater, the lower the perception of one's own body image and the higher the photographic manipulation and control over the body image". In practice, the increase in the number of retouched photos corresponds to an increasingly lower self-esteem in children.
The project coordinator, Clare Brombin, explains that the study aims to promote the digital well-being of adolescents and raise awareness of the potential risks of digital image manipulation.
I hope that this and other projects, also abroadlead to greater awareness of the phenomenon. Above all, that they help institutions, teachers, parents and children to prevent social media from ruining their existence.
