People are calling out this "damaging" Photolift app that makes people look thinner

5 June 2019, 17:30

A woman using the Photolift app. Picture: Photolift/Twitter:@sssssssssierra

By Jazmin Duribe

"This is so sad and disheartening."

Pretty much everyone has thrown a filter on their photo one time or another. A little 5 VSCO Cam or Facetune never hurt anyone, right? Well, there's a new app that is going viral right now and it can literally change your entire body.

Photolift is the new image editing app on the market designed by Mimoza Bilgi Teknolojileri Limited Sirketi. Apparently, it can transform anyone and give them their "dream appearance", and make them look "sexy" in seconds on social media.

The app has various functions, one of which is a controversial reshaping tool. The feature, which appears to be aimed at women, allows the user to achieve the "perfect" hourglass physique. You can shrink down your waist, widen your hips and even increase your cup size with just a few clicks.

This is terrifying my god pic.twitter.com/wocmVAeC6j
— sierra (@sssssssssierra) June 3, 2019

Someone shared a video of how to use the app on Twitter and it quickly went viral. In the clip, a woman's figure is dramatically altered to give them a more hourglass shape.

The app is catching some heat online, particularly with body activist and actress Jameela Jamil. Jameela has been dedicated to making women feel more confident in their own skin and urged app creators to stop idealising women's bodies.

She tweeted: "Not only does this hurt us and how we see ourselves. It also affects how men see us. They cannot help but become hypernormalized to these images and their brains naturally become accustomed to this aesthetic. Which in turn can *genuinely* impact their attraction to us. Just STOP."

Not only does this hurt us and how we see ourselves. It also affects how men see us. They cannot help but become hypernormalized to these images and their brains naturally become accustomed to this aesthetic. Which in turn can *genuinely* impact their attraction to us. Just STOP. https://t.co/oLf98aqASr
— Jameela Jamil 🌈 (@jameelajamil) June 4, 2019

Soon, people were calling out the "dangerous" app and expressing their concern.

It's true. I used 2 go round my dad's work when I was a girl +there were photos of topless women everywhere (calendars, newspapers, magazines etc) I grew up thinking if I didn't look like them +have big boobs no man would find me attractive. It's dangerous and demeaning. Stop it.
— Marianne Young (@MarianneDYoung) June 4, 2019

Victorian art critic John Ruskin would not have sex with his wife because he was disgusted when he saw her naked. He didn't expect female bodies to have hair and smells and wrinkles and things real bodies have. Talk about being brainwashed by the ideal images being set forth.
— NecroFancy (@traceracer) June 4, 2019

Those women also aren't that big, so it feels like they're saying "anything above toothpick size is bad"
— Rebekah Smith (@timesinfinity2) June 4, 2019

My self esteem when Im in a relationship is INCREDIBLE low because of this. Id see my boyfriend constantly liking and consuming images like this on each one of his social media. Girls with flawless porcelain white skin, 16” waists, huge boobs and huge asses. I always felt sick
— raven (@errorcode201) June 4, 2019

we need to normalise normal again
— ḱ̶͚͔͍̝̽͋̋͠e̴͍͈̎͆͑̓i̴͖͚̩͆r̸̼͖͓͐͒͠ͅ🥤 (@kxcii) June 4, 2019

what, and i cannot stress this enough, the FUCK
— Juliana "Cooliana" Sabo (@JulianaSabo) June 4, 2019

I mean most men can go eff themselves so whatever, but YES it hurts the way women see themselves and define a healthy, normal body. Having peace of mind when looking at ourselves in a mirror should not be rare. This is so sad and disheartening
— laura (@lauraculrich) June 4, 2019

I don’t want my baby girl to grow up and deal with this shit 😭 she is bright and spirited and fearless... yet at 10 has to wear long shirts to cover her tummy... can we pls stop already 🙏🏻 break the wheel
— Michelle Borstel (@BorstelMichelle) June 4, 2019