Selfhood and simulacra: on the phenomenon of Snapchat dysmorphia

Abstract

Snapchat dysmorphia is a body dysmorphic disorder where a user of filtered selfies becomes dissatisfied with his or her “natural” appearance and seeks surgical procedures in order to look like in the filtered selfies. This study presents the current discussions of Snapchat dysmorphia and proposes to further analyse the phenomenon against the backdrop of the concepts of hyperreality and simulacra. The critique of Snapchat dysmorphia is fuelled by the implicit dualism of “natural” vs. “artificial”, “real” vs. “fake” and takes place in the context of an unacknowledged effort to defend the inviolability and sanctity of human nature. In order to overcome the binarity and normativeness of understanding Snapchat dysmorphia as an “unnatural” phenomenon, this study proposes to view it as an instance of “second nature”. It is a habitualised practice, an attempt to appropriate, to manifest the already accustomed image of the self on the corporeal level. In this analysis, the phenomenon of Snapchat dysmorphia becomes a case study of the limits of our views of the relationship between selfhood and corporeality.

Keywords

• dysmorphia
• aesthetic surgery
• social media
• simulacrum
• hyperreality
• second nature
• selfhood
• corporeality