Local sexologist and author, Kagiso Bareki warns that people are likely to suffer depression if they fail to attain the beauty displayed on edited photographs they upload across social media platforms.

Speaking to The Midweek Sun this week, Bareki says that both males and females sometimes expect to look exactly like the retouched photographs they post on social media, especially women. Some even expose themselves to harmful lifestyles, often using dangerous facial substances to smoothen and lighten their skin.

He warns that harmful lifestyles may lead to depression and anxiety if they do not work to expectations. Bareki further warns that overuse of social media beauty filters can deceive by altering human

features making them look different from their real appearance.

“The gap between the filtered images and reality can lead to misunderstandings and disappointment when people who were initially introduced to each other on social media, finally meet in person,” Bareki said.

He explained that beauty filters often create an idealised version of beauty that is not attainable in reality, as the filters smoothen out imperfections, alter facial features and create an unrealistic perception of how one should look.

“All these can lead to a negative body image and self-esteem issues when individuals compare themselves to the filtered version of themselves or others,” he said. The sexologist also warns that regular use of beauty filters can distort an individual’s perception of their own appearance and cause reliance on filters which may result in dissatisfaction with a person’s natural appearance, leading to self-esteem issues and a diminished sense of self-worth. However, some Facebook users disagree.

Keolebogile Mosele, 29, from Kanye agrees that women abuse beauty filters. “Women tend to extremely modify their photos so as to impress their followers, it can be a big turnoff for men. It is high time they use the filters correctly, instead of changing themselves into something different to reality, “she said.

Others, believe that beauty filters are overrated as they distort the quality of photographs.

Nicholas Gontse, 39, of Gaborone concurs that women overuse beauty filters on photographs, without considering that the image loses quality. “One can simply tell it is edited, if one needs quality pictures, they should hire a professional makeup artist and book a photoshoot instead,” he advised. Boniface Leebana from Metsimotlhabe has physically met women he was introduced through Facebook and they looked totally different from their pictures. The

35-year-old says, it is such a turn off.