TikTokers name for ‘chubby filter’ to be banned | EUROtoday

TikTok customers have advised the BBC they assume a viral software which makes folks seem chubby needs to be banned from the platform.

Known as a “chubby filter”, the synthetic intelligence (AI) software takes a photograph of an individual and edits their look to look as if they’ve placed on weight.

Many folks have shared their earlier than and after pictures on the platform with jokes about how completely different they give the impression of being – nevertheless others say it’s a type of “body shaming” and shouldn’t be permitted.

Experts have additionally warned the filter may gasoline a “toxic diet culture” on-line and doubtlessly contribute to consuming issues.

TikTok has not responded to a request for remark.

Sadie, who has 66,000 followers on TikTok, is a kind of calling for the “mean” filter to be banned.

“It felt like girls being like, ‘oh, I’ve won because I’m skinny and wouldn’t it be the worst thing ever to be fat’,” the 29-year-old from Bristol stated.

She stated she had been contacted by girls who stated they’d deleted TikTok from their telephones as a result of the pattern made them really feel unhealthy about themselves.

“I just don’t feel like people should be ridiculed for their body just for opening an app,” she stated.

Dr Emma Beckett, a meals and diet scientist, advised the BBC she felt the pattern was “a huge step backwards” in weight stigma.

“It’s just the same old false stereotypes and tropes about people in larger bodies being lazy and flawed, and something to be desperately avoided,” she stated.

She warned that might have a broad social impact.

“The fear of weight gain contributes to eating disorders and body dissatisfaction, it fuels toxic diet culture, making people obsess over food and exercise in unhealthy ways and opening them up to scam products and fad diets.

“And it pressures everybody to evolve to slim health and beauty requirements, moderately than discovering what works greatest for their very own physique – that causes hurt to everybody, each in bodily and psychological well being.”

By Jessica Sherwood, BBC Social News

Filters – which use AI to manipulate a person’s appearance – are common on TikTok.

Many are harmless – for example one popular trend makes it appear as if a person was made out of Lego.

They are often designed by individuals with no link to TikTok – as appears to be the case with the new “chubby filter”.

Some of the most popular videos using the filter have been liked tens of thousands of times.

For the purpose of this article, I used the filter on myself.

I felt incredibly uncomfortable.

As someone who is very body positive and has struggled with their self-image in the past, using it couldn’t be further away from how I personally use social media and I was unhappy that TikTok pushed it to me in the first place.

This filter appeared on my TikTok “For You” page the other day despite me not engaging with any weight-related or health content.

After watching the video and reading the comments that was it – the way TikTok’s algorithm works means it began to suggest me similar videos from other people using the filter, and even another where AI can turn you thinner.

Thankfully it also began to start showing me creators who were criticising the trend, some of whom we’ve spoken to for this article.

AI images and filters have become commonplace on TikTok and quickly accepted to be used for fun – the same way some Gen-Zs and Millennials might remember Snapchat filters.

But filters like these, although they may seem fun, can be very damaging to someone’s mental health and encourage them to compare themselves not only to others, but an unrealistic version of themselves.

The BBC has spoken to a number of TikTok users who said they were uncomfortable with the filter.

Nina, who lives in north Wales, said she felt it fed into a “narrative” being spread online tying together people’s appearance with their self-worth.

“This is a poisonous view that I assumed we had been shifting away from,” she said.

“If a filter is clearly offensive it needs to be eliminated,” she told the BBC.

Emma, who lives in Ayr, agreed.

“My first thought once I noticed the ‘chubby filter’ was how damaging that may be.

“People were basically saying they looked disgusting because they were ‘chubby’ and as a curvier woman, who essentially looks like the “after” photo on this filter, it was disheartening for me.”

Nina stated she was pleased to see folks criticising the pattern, which she referred to as “immoral and insensitive”.

“We should be lifting each other up, not shaming each other’s bodies,” she stated.

Sadie agreed that it shouldn’t be allowed – nevertheless she felt there may be different issues TikTok may do.

“Maybe it ought to have a warning,” she said.

“If there’s themes of body shaming or an eating disorder or anything like that, I think there should be a way of flagging it where, if these people want to post it, they post it, but it doesn’t get pushed to a wider audience.”