In pursuit of 'Instagram face,' are we losing the imperfections that make us human?
Journalist Jia Tolentino discusses the rise of 'Instagram face,' a beauty standard driven by social media filters and AI that is increasingly influencing young people to seek cosmetic procedures. She argues that this trend reflects a broader societal shift toward optimizing human appearance and a detachment from reality.
Why it matters
The normalization of cosmetic surgery among younger demographics highlights the psychological impact of digital beauty standards and the influence of social media on self-perception.
Marina Demeshko/iStockphoto/Getty Images Seven years ago, The New Yorker staff writer Jia Tolentino is widely credited with coining the term " Instagram face " to describe a beauty standard that she noticed emerging on social media among white female influencers.
"The face looked like the beauty filters that Snapchat and Instagram provided to kind of lift your cheeks, and plump your lips, and make your eyes bigger, and make your chin a little more heart-shaped," Tolentino says. "It was the kind of ... Kim Kardashian looks, like Kendall Jenner looks, like Bella Hadid looks, like Emily Ratajkowski."
Now, in her latest New Yorker piece , Tolentino argues that social media optimization of Instagram face has trickled down, resulting in a proliferation of plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures among young people chasing an AI-based beauty standard.
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