The attack of the Corona epidemic (Covid-19) was a reason for the shift towards the virtual world, as business, study and job interviews revolved around virtual screens and applications.

As a direct result of this;

We are constantly seeing our faces on the screen.

Even those who had never worried about their appearance before found themselves facing themselves so closely that it made them notice that their true image is not the same as their mental image of themselves, and that there are many flaws on their face that need to be looked at, such as a nose that is too big or lips Thin, or light wrinkles that you hadn't noticed before.

Zoom dysmorphia

As the pandemic galvanized audiences at Zoom interviews and conferences throughout 2020 and beyond, researchers have observed a phenomenon they call "zoom dysmorphia."

It all started when the world began to loosen up somewhat, people flocked to cosmetic and dermatology clinics, and requests for treatments and appearance-related treatments increased while people were being warned not to take any unnecessary medical risks.

It happened because there are many people who have established in their minds that they look worse than usual or than they think about themselves.

In the era of camera programs, people became preoccupied with flabby skin around the neck and jaws, the size and shape of their noses, pallor of their skin, and small pimples on their faces, and they believed that plastic surgeries or cosmetic interventions such as Botox and Fillers are the appropriate solutions to their real or imagined problems with their faces.

Although the lockdown has largely been unlocked and life has somehow returned to real interviews and meetings, experts believe that zoom dysmorphia will not go away. Even before COVID-19, plastic surgeons and dermatologists were seeing a huge increase in patients coming to them with unrealistic and unnatural requirements.People wanted to look like they had undergone face purifying filters and widen eyes in real life, everyone wants glowing skin and noses. Sculpted, full lips and a face without pores or wrinkles, but it became more extreme after the emergence of "Covid-19".

Zoom dysmorphia differs from the idea of ​​people viewing themselves through a filter;

The front cameras actually distort images, making noses appear larger, and eyes appear smaller.

This effect is exacerbated by the closer the lens is, and in selfies it is certainly closer to the person than any photographer shooting from a distance.

Looking at the front camera of a phone or a laptop camera is one of the worst and least beautiful angles in which we see ourselves, so photographers recommend higher angles when using front cameras, which is why selfie sticks are everywhere.

In the age of camera software, people have become overly preoccupied with flabby skin, the size and shape of their noses, and pale skin (pixels).

Self-perception anxiety

We are often used to seeing ourselves in mirrors or pictures when our faces are relaxed or happy, and we are not used to seeing ourselves while frowning or focusing, so changes in self-perception and anxiety as a result of continuous video interviews may lead to unnecessary cosmetic procedures, especially among young people who have been severely exposed. Great for online platforms, video conferences and interviews.

Psychologists say the best way to combat the imbalance in our self-perception caused by front cameras and virtual interviews is to let everyone know that they are not alone in feeling that something is wrong with their appearance.

The closure produced a storm of problems with self-image;

People lived in isolation for a long time, looking at their distorted pictures, and spending their time looking at distorted pictures of other people on social media, and this contributed to finding a mental health problem, and it appears through some signs such as:

  • Worrying about attending video meetings with the camera turned on.

  • Trying to look perfect before video calls.

  • Focusing all the time on the screen and trying to spot the character flaws.

  • Persistent belief that others focus on imagined personality flaws.

The shutdown has created a storm of self-image issues (Getty Images)

The origins of self-dysmorphic disorder

The origins of SD from a psychoanalytic perspective go back to the early stages of development, through what is known as the mirror stage, when children see themselves reflected in their parents' eyes and faces.

When parents are warm and loving, children feel loved and trusted, but when these affectionate looks are absent, and are replaced by parents' absence or indifference about their children and their feelings, children feel ostracized and distrusted, and may feel rejected as well, because our feeling of ourselves is greatly influenced by what we see or We do not see it in the eyes of others.

People feel something exactly like this in Zoom Dysmorphia, which indicates a very painful idea that there is something wrong with their looks, which carries with it the expectation of rejection, and leads them to focus on improving their appearance to get rid of this feeling of shame.