Why a quarter of us can only face up to selfies with a filter

ONE in four Britons will not upload a selfie to social media without a filter or editing it first, according to research.

A poll of more than 2,000 revealed frequent exposure to ‘picture perfect’ images online damages mental health.

Worst hit were 16 to 25-yearolds, with 40 per cent admitting they wanted to alter their reallife appearance due to social media filters – which change how the user looks.

The urge to use filters themselves was revealed in a report by wellness brand OriGym surveyed 2,130 social media users aged over 16.

A third of 16 to 25-year-olds said seeing perfect images made them feel ugly. Many said they made them want to lose weight.

Dr Asalet Yener, a cosmetic doctor, warned: ‘The younger generation... are going to try to do a lot more surgeries and a lot more procedures just to be able to try to fit in.’