Why You Look ‘ugly’ in Selfies

About this video

• Video Title: Why You Look ‘ugly’ in Selfies
• Channel: Jerico
• Speakers: Jerico
• Duration: 23:29

Overview

This video explains why selfies and video calls often make people look different from how they perceive themselves in the mirror. The speaker, Jerico, discusses how phone camera software, lens distortion, and post-processing heavily alter images, leading to potential self-esteem issues. Jerico aims to clarify that these discrepancies are due to technology, not personal appearance, and offers insights into how these alterations happen.

Key takeaways

• Discrepancy Between Reality and Photos: Phone cameras, especially front-facing ones, significantly alter appearance through software processing and lens distortion, making people look different in photos than in real life.
• Technological Influence on Self-Perception: The way cameras capture images, with features like HDR, sharpening, and contrast adjustments, can create an inaccurate representation of reality, leading to self-esteem issues.
• iPhone Camera Specifics: The iPhone camera, in particular, is noted for its sharpness, which can overemphasize perceived flaws, and its FaceTime camera's distortion of facial features like eyes.
• Historical Context of Self-Image: For most of human history, consistent self-reflection was rare, unlike the constant digital self-viewing today, which can be jarring due to technological alterations.
• Post-Processing Effects: Beyond facial features, the post-processing applied by cameras can affect the clarity of text and details in images, demonstrating how technology actively modifies reality.