So my best friend is visiting & he took a short video of me when I wasn't looking and sent it to me. I instantly recoiled. Photos, etc. of my flesh prison almost always make me cringe. I rarely take photos of myself for this reason. 🙃🫠

Wearing Makeup for my BDD: My Experience (I’m a guy btw):

https://jameshasbdd.tumblr.com/post/735992508262285312/wearing-makeup-for-my-bdd-my-experience-im-a

If you also have experience with makeup and BDD feel free to lmk!

#bdd #bodydysmorphia #bodydysmorphicdisorder #mentalhealth #selfhelp #bodyimage

Screenshot from https://youtu.be/sEXgm-7a5Oo, a video by The BDD Foundation.

Obviously, I had quite a rollercoaster of a weekend, but I've done something useful (for me) and channelled all my rage and hurt into this.

"Too many times people have told me that there is no chemistry between us after they’ve seen me naked. After we’ve fucked. After I’ve sucked their cock. I’m not sure if I’m more confused, frustrated, or impressed at the utter gall of their grift."

https://robyneatseverything.com/chemistry-lessons/

#datinglife #bodydysmorphicdisorder

PSA: It’s not normal to worry about your body for hours every day.

You may have #bodydysmorphicdisorder #bdd – something that’s more common than generalized #anxiety disorder and eating disorders.

#health #bodyimage
https://theconversation.com/body-dysmorphic-disorder-is-more-common-than-eating-disorders-like-anorexia-and-bulimia-yet-few-people-are-aware-of-its-dangers-195538

Not Disclosing That a Photo Was Retouched is Now Illegal in Norway

Norway has recently passed legislation that makes it illegal for photos that feature any kind of retouching without disclosing the edits posted by celebrities and influencers as part of a pushback against unrealistic beauty standards and a rise in body dysmorphic disorder.

The law comes as an amendment to the country's 2009 Marketing Act that makes it illegal for influencers to share retouched photos of their bodies in promotional posts on social media without disclosing that the image has been edited. The law passed with a considerable majority of 72 to 15 votes and requires advertisements featuring a person with any edits to a body's size, shape, or skin to be marked with a standardized label designed by the government.

"Advertisements" encompasses celebrities and influencers, as the term is for anyone who receives payment or other benefits as the result of a post on social media. The specific platforms called out were Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and Twitter. Violators of the law are subject to fines that can escalate in scale and lead to -- in extreme cases -- imprisonment.

“Body pressure is present in the workplace, in the public space, in the home, and in various media, etc,” the Ministry of Children and Family writes in the proposed amendments that were sent to the Norweigian parliament and were later passed. “Body pressure is always there, often imperceptibly, and is difficult to combat. A requirement for retouched or otherwise manipulated advertising to be marked is one measure against body pressure. The measure will hopefully make a useful and significant contribution to curbing the negative impact that such advertising has, especially on children and young people.”

While the goal is noble, enforcement appears to be the biggest hurdle. It wasn't clear how the law would address those who lived outside of Norway and thus are not subject to its laws. Additionally, even if a violator lived within its borders, it also was not clear who would be evaluating posts and determining if there was any kind of retouching done to the image or if there would even be an active oversight board responsible for constant monitoring of social networks.

The issue of enforcement was conceded by the Norwegian government to be an issue, who according to Vice, admitted it is not always easy to determine if a photo has been edited. The publication also noted that the law could also have the unintended side effect of pressuring influencers to undergo cosmetic surgery to maintain the high beauty standards set without needing digital assistance.

According to the daily Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang, the new law has apparently been well received by a number of influencers in Norway, with one, in particular, arguing it should not just apply to photos of influencers, but all retouched photos posted, period.

Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.

#culture #news #beauty #beautystandards #bodydysmorphicdisorder #edited #facebook #illegal #instagram #law #norway #retouched #snapchat #socialmedia #tiktok #twitter

Zoom and Photo Filters Blamed for Rise in Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Experts warn of an increase in serious body dysmorphic disorders as a direct result of the daily digital connection with friends, colleagues, and educators in video chat as well as the explosive popularity of face-altering filters found on social media.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a disorder that consists of a distressing or impairing preoccupation with imagined or slight defects in appearance and is commonly considered to be an obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder. It has been previously estimated that five to ten million Americans suffer from body dysmorphia, a number that is now significantly on the rise due to the incredibly increased usage of Zoom and other remote communication services.

As Trever Noah of The Daily Show points out in the video above, the technology keeping us connected is also making users feel badly about themselves, and backs up his comments with clips from various news reports from sources like NBC, ABC, CBS and more.

"Not only is a person confronting their own reflection with much greater intensity and frequency than ever before, but they are starring at a distorted reflection from these front-facing cameras," he says.

As most of these devices will make someone's nose appear wider and larger, while at the same time making their eyes appear smaller than they are in reality.

This isn't just a result of Zoom meetings, however, but also the popularity of social media "self-portrait" filters as well. Noah's segment, as well as many other articles from publications like The Washington Post , states how patients -- especially young teen and pre-teens -- are desperate to actually look like the selfies they have taken and doctored using various social media filters and often are in disbelief when they discover that the look cannot be achieved in reality.

In one survey, 80% of teenage girls say they compared themselves to the way others look on social media. Further, these children report being unhappy with the way they look before they have even finished elementary school. In an effort to combat some of this, Luke Evans, a member of the British Parliament, has proposed the "Digitally Altered Body Bill" that requires advertisers and publishers to display a logo whenever a person's face or body has been enhanced.

Read more: When is Photography No Longer Photography?

"While there is not a “one size fits all” cause or cure to body dysmorphic disorders such as Zoom dysmorphia, Evans says that the openness and acceptance of people no matter the shape, size, color, gender, and so on is important now even more than ever before. I think our society is moving toward that," Marybeth Evans from OSF Healthcare says. "We see that commercials now include different body types, different ages, different races. I think there is a trend of being more accepting of differences – so hopefully that will also help with body dysmorphia.”

Read more: AI-Powered App That Turns Photos into Cartoons is Exploding in Popularity

Additionally, a few simple changes can help those who still use Zoom meetings every day: sitting farther away from the camera will reduce the visible distortion from some of the front-facing cameras in devices, or using a better camera like a DSLR or mirrorless system as your webcam along with different or better lighting can make a huge difference.

Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.

#culture #news #technology #abc #animelook #bodydysmorphicdisorder #bodyimage #filters #mentalhealth #nbc #selfieculture #snapchatdysmorphia #thedailyshow #trevornoah #zoomdysmorphia