We all like to look our best and take a great picture; we look for the nicest surroundings trying to get the best light. However, it is not always possible. This used to be a problem, but nowadays we have Photoshop and many other photo-editing apps that lend us a helping hand.

Women have been subjected to unrealistic beauty standards for many years now, however, with the growth of social media in modern life this has intensified. It seems we all have to be the best versions of ourselves constantly. Obviously, this is ridiculous, so we sometimes cheat by using filters: anything to help us feel better about ourselves, right?

It seems that using filters consistently may also be a bad thing. According to Dr Neelam Vashi, director of the Boston University Cosmetic and Laser Centre, a new phenomenon has appeared among teenagers: ‘Snapchat dysmorphia’, in which they are seeking plastic surgery to look how they do with Snapchat filters.

Some filters are funny and give you dog and bunny ears; however, others change the shape of your face, give an appearance of flawless skin and even change your eye colour. This is the underlying problem, as always seeing a slimmer, flawless version of ourselves online can make us feel ugly in real life.

This is exactly what happened to Maisie Hazelwood, who got so used to seeing herself through Snapchat filters, she couldn’t stand to see herself in the mirror. What started off as taking a few selfies to upload to social media, progressed into an obsession, that led her to dislike her appearance unless it had been changed by the filters of the app. The 19-year- old even went as far as to not let anyone see her because she was afraid of people seeing her true self.

Does all this seem bizarre to you? What if instead of social media and filters we addressed the problems with fast food or alcohol? Then we would instantly spot a problem. When you let anything rule your life it can become dangerous, even something as seemingly innocent like taking selfies.

Don’t let anything take over your mind. As innocent as something may seem, too much of it will inevitably become a bad thing. Moderation is vital to a healthy lifestyle.