TED Talks Daily How digital culture is reshaping our faces and bodies | Elise Hu (re-release)
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Sep 9, 2025 Explore how digital culture is reshaping our perceptions of beauty and identity, particularly through the lens of social media filters. Journalist Elise Hu discusses the 'technological gaze' that distorts reality and pressures individuals, especially young women, to conform to idealized images. She sheds light on societal expectations in places like South Korea, where cosmetic surgery is often viewed as essential. Ultimately, the conversation advocates for embracing authenticity and diversity, challenging unrealistic beauty norms in today's digital age.
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Unexpected Non-Consensual Filtering
- Elise Hu opened TikTok in selfie mode and found automatic beauty filters applied she couldn't turn off.
- She describes this as 'non-consensual filtering' that felt like forced catfishing.
The Technological Gaze Defined
- The technological gaze is an algorithmically driven perspective we internalize and perform for.
- Machines then learn to 'perform' us in an endless feedback loop using our data.
Filters Teach Beauty From Youth
- Young people adopt filters early, with about 80% of 13-year-old girls in America using them.
- Hyper-realistic, often AI-generated filters teach specific beauty traits and narrow standards.