It's Time to Have The Selfie Talk - New Dove Self-Esteem Project Research Finds 80% of Canadian Girls Are Using Photo Editing Apps by the Age of 13 Français
TORONTO, April 20, 2021 /CNW/ - Fifteen years after releasing the iconic Evolution film addressing image manipulation in advertising, Dove is tackling the issue of digital distortion again with a new film, 'Reverse Selfie,' which depicts how far retouching apps can distort reality and how young girls are changing their appearance for social media.
Rooted in new research from the Dove Self-Esteem Project, the film undoes the emotional and physical stages of posting a selfie; highlighting how editing tools once only available to the professionals can now be accessed by young people at the touch of a button without regulation. After a year of increased screen-time and subsequent increased exposure to unrealistic beauty ideals and pressures due to the pandemic, there has never been a more important time to act to address this issue.
View the 'Reverse Selfie' film from the Dove Self-Esteem Project here.
Firdaous El Honsali, Dove Global Communications & Sustainability Director shares, "For over 60 years, Dove has advocated for real beauty. Part of that is our 'No Digital Distortion' Mark – that tells you that the people in our ads are just as you'd see them in real life. With the rise of social media, digital distortion is now happening on a much bigger scale, by younger people, without regulation. We see so much creativity and expression of self-identity through the use of filters, but when editing apps are used to digitally distort images to conform to unrealistic beauty standards that cannot be achieved in real life, it can be damaging to the self-esteem of young people. Dove wants to highlight this issue and provide tools to parents and carers to help young people navigate social media in a positive way."
Dove Self-Esteem Project 2020 Research Behind the 'Reverse Selfie' Film
A new Canadian study conducted by the Dove Self-Esteem Project, which fueled the development of the 'Reverse Selfie' film reinforces that we're amid a confidence crisis. Canadian girls ages 10 – 17 years old were surveyed and research results share that:
- 80% of girls have downloaded a filter or used an app to change the way they look in photos by the age of 13
- 67% of girls try to change or hide at least one body part/feature before posting a photo of themselves
- 59% of girls with lower body-esteem regularly distort their photos before posting them on social media
- 37% of girls say they don't look good enough without any photo editing
- Importantly, girls said that if images on social media were more representative of the way girls look in everyday life, they would feel more confident:
- 67% of girls say they would not end up feeling judged on the way they look
- 66% of girls would be less worried about the way they look
- 63% of girls wish the world would focus more on who they are instead of what they look like
It's clear from the research that we need to help girls navigate social media in a positive way, making it more about self-expression and less about validation.
Professor Phillippa Diedrichs, Research Psychologist at the Centre of Appearance Research at the University of West England and body image expert says, "Although certain aspects of social media can promote connection and well-being, in recent years dozens of scientific studies have shown that social media can negatively influence body confidence, mood, and self-esteem. This happens when users spend significant amounts of time posting selfies, using editing apps and filters to alter their appearance, comparing themselves to others, and seeking validation through comments and likes. It's therefore imperative that we help young people to develop skills to navigate social media in a healthy and productive way."
Introducing The Selfie Talk & NEW Confidence Kit from the Dove Self-Esteem Project
82% of parents have the sex talk*, but just 30% are talking to their kids about the pressures of social media. This is where The Selfie Talk comes in: a conversation with a young person in your life to help them be their most confident self and have a positive experience online. *Planned Parenthood, 2014
Dove wants to make it easier for parents to have The Selfie Talk with their kids by providing free Dove Self-Esteem Project tools so that kids can navigate social media with confidence. Since the launch of our self-esteem work in 2004, Dove has reached over 3.5 million Canadians, supporting our global mission in helping 250 million kids to build self-esteem by 2030.
Dove has joined forces with Grammy award winning, multi-platinum superstar and body confidence advocate Lizzo, with the shared mission of making a positive experience of beauty universally accessible to all. This work begins by building confidence and self-esteem in the next generation so they grow up realizing their full potential, and there is no better place to start than with The Selfie Talk.
Dove partner Lizzo shares, "I love how this generation is so creative in the ways in which they express themselves. It's really inspiring to see how people are taking their identity and their beauty into their own hands. However, people are struggling with their self-image and self-confidence more than ever. This is amplified by the increasing pressure to show a digitally distorted version of ourselves, reinforcing the idea that our beauty in real life is not good enough or worthy of likes. That's why the Dove Self-Esteem Project and I want you to have The Selfie Talk with a young person in your life. It's happening to young people everywhere, so let's talk about it."
Head to Dove.com/TheSelfieTalk to download the NEW Confidence Kit and helpful tips to have The Selfie Talk today. Share your experience having The Selfie Talk on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok @Dove by tagging #TheSelfieTalk and #NoDigitalDistortion.
ABOUT THE DOVE SELF-ESTEEM PROJECT
Dove has a long-standing commitment to creating a world where beauty is a source of confidence, and not anxiety. The Dove Self-Esteem Project was established in 2004 to help the next generation develop a positive relationship with the way they look so they are not held back by appearance-related anxiety and can realize their full potential. Created in partnership with the Centre for Appearance Research at the University of West England – the world's largest research group focusing on the role of appearance and body image in people's lives – Dove Self-Esteem Project tools are academically validated and free to download. So far, The Dove Self-Esteem Project has reached more than 69 million young people across 142 countries, making it one of the largest providers of body confidence education globally. By 2030, we'll have helped 250 million through our no-cost academically validated tools.
MORE ON THE RESEARCH
Research conducted by Edelman Data & Intelligence, a global, multidisciplinary research, analytics and data consultancy between November and December 2020 in Canada with 503 girls aged 10-17 and 1,010 women aged 18-55.
SOURCE Dove Canada
Media contact: Rivka Boxer, Edelman, [email protected]
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