Tech Translator

Beauty Filters

Explained for parents by The Digital Childhood.

What it means

Camera filters that smooth skin, slim noses and reshape faces live, while you're filming. TikTok limits the face-changing ones for users under 18, but plenty of apps still have them. The newest ones are so good you can't tell they're on, so kids end up comparing their real face to filtered faces all day.

How to bring it up with your kid

"Can you show me the filters you use? What do you look like with it on?" Then turn it off together. It helps a lot to see how much the filter is really doing.

The Sunday Script

Get one script every Sunday

The words for one hard conversation, in your inbox every Sunday, and a short note once a month. You can stop anytime.