Picture-perfect altered reality

Overdoing it

Still, overedited and even fake photos are common online, especially with the rise of internet stars.

Freelancer Xing Hanna says her friend was recently duped by altered photos when she selected a model to pose with her product from a group of portraits provided by web celebrities.

Her team was shocked when the woman looked nothing like her pictures.

"Photo-editing apps help online stars curate their appearances. But it's easy for ordinary people to worry about imperfections."

Xing is conventionally pretty and says she was praised as such while growing up. But she began to feel less secure as she was bombarded with over edited photos of beautiful women.

Her best friend, a good-looking woman, often asks if she should get plastic surgery. Xing's friends often ask: "Why is my chin not as long as online stars'? Maybe my eyes are too small? Why do they look so pretty in photos but I don't."

Xing also starts to doubt herself upon hearing such questions so often.

She knows these celebrities' personas exist only on social networks. They post perfect pictures but also claim ordinary backgrounds, which confuses the public. "I know those photos are edited," Xing says.

"But we can't help but compare ourselves with them."

Dong points out new trends and technologies usually bring new problems.

People need time to learn how to cope. He explains that studies have shown publishing moderately edited photos on social media makes people happy, and these apps are to physical appearance what clothes are to fashion.

"People are born to pursue beauty," Dong says.

"It's fundamental. These apps satisfy this drive."