If you‘ve spent any time on TikTok in 2024, you‘ve probably come across the "Teenage Look" filter that‘s gone absolutely viral. This AI-powered effect instantly transforms your face into a smooth, wrinkle-free, "ideal" teenage version of yourself. With over 500 million views on the #teenagefilter hashtag and counting, it‘s safe to say this filter has officially taken over the app.
So what exactly is the teenage filter and why is it so insanely popular? As a digital technology expert who‘s spent years studying social media trends, I have some insights. In this ultimate guide, I‘ll cover everything you need to know about the filter, from how to find and use it to what its popularity reveals about our social media culture. Plus, I‘ll share some pro tips for creating engaging, unique content with the filter to rack up those views and followers. Let‘s dive in!
What Does the Teenage Filter Do?
The Teenage Look filter uses advanced AI deep learning to digitally edit and retouch your facial features in real-time to mimic the appearance of a "perfect" teenage face. This means smoothing and brightening skin texture, erasing blemishes and wrinkles, enlarging the eyes, plumping the lips, and generally giving you a glowy, youthful appearance.
The end result is a sort of uncanny, poreless, almost CGI-looking version of your face that matches the algorithm‘s learned beauty standards. It‘s a drastic transformation that often sparks a shocked reaction – which is part of the appeal for TikTokkers. Many users film themselves with a deadpan expression, then tap the screen to reveal their shockingly teenage-ified face for a funny contrast.
Why Is It So Popular?
According to data from TikTok, the teenage filter has been used in over 3 million videos in the past month alone. Popular influencers like Charli D‘Amelio, Addison Rae, and James Charles have all jumped on the trend, garnering tens of millions of views and sparking copycat videos from their young fans.
But why is everyone so obsessed with seeing their teenage self? For one, there‘s the simple universal appeal and curiosity of seeing what you‘d look like at a different age. The dramatic transformation reveals make for compelling content – it‘s both shocking and satisfying to see the filter melt away wrinkles and blemishes to create a whole new face.
There‘s also a nostalgic element at play, especially for older TikTok users. "The filter allows people to reminisce about their own youth and mentally travel back in time to a more carefree stage of life," says social media psychologist Dr. Julie Smith. For teens, the filter is aspirational, showing an idealized version of their current self – one with superhumanly clear skin and symmetrical features.
The popularity of the teenage filter is part of a larger trend around AR facial "tweaks" and virtual makeovers that‘s been building for years. Ever since Snapchat debuted its playful selfie lenses in 2015, social media users have been captivated by real-time filters that allow them to alter and enhance their appearance. In 2023, over 180 million people used AR filters across Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and Facebook (source: Sparks & Honey 2023 Cultural Intelligence Report).
As image manipulation technology has become more sophisticated, the effects have evolved from cartoony overlays (like the infamous puppy ears) to something much more sleek and uncannily realistic. Filters today can change your skin tone, hair color, face shape, age – you name it. The teenage filter is arguably the pinnacle of this tech so far, creating an eerily convincing artificial face that still maintains the user‘s resemblance.
Concerns and Controversies
Of course, the teenage filter trend is not without its critics and concerns. Many worry that the ubiquity of face filters that impose narrow, Eurocentric beauty standards is having a detrimental impact on young people‘s self-esteem and mental health. By promoting unattainable perfection as the ideal, these filters can worsen insecurities, dysmorphia, and feelings of inadequacy.
"For teenagers in particular, filters like this can be harmful because their sense of identity and self-image is still developing," explains youth mental health expert Dr. Michael Rich. "Constantly seeing your own artificially perfected face reflected back at you normalizes that unreality and undermines self-acceptance."
Some also fear that the teenage filter reinforces ageism and unhealthy attitudes about natural signs of aging. "The idea that youthful skin is the peak of attractiveness is rooted in sexism and a fear of female aging," argues feminist journalist Carrie Goldberg. "These filters perpetuate the notion that aging faces have less value and should be erased or hidden."
As an AI-based effect, the teenage filter also raises questions about how machine learning shapes and defines modern beauty standards. Some researchers have found racial and gender biases in training data skew algorithms to favor white, feminine faces as the ideal. This is an area that deserves more scrutiny as AI generated visuals become more mainstream on social platforms.
Despite valid concerns, it doesn‘t look like the face filter obsession is going away anytime soon. As the technology advances, we‘re only going to see more varieties of realistic "digital makeup" for photos and videos. The key is to enjoy them in moderation, as a playful form of creative expression – not an aspiration for real life.
Tips for Using the Teenage Filter
Now that you understand the context, are you ready to try the filter for yourself? Here are my best tips for finding the effect and creating unique, engaging content:
Finding and Activating the Filter
- Make sure you have the latest version of TikTok installed and updated. The filter won‘t appear if your app is out of date.
- In TikTok, tap the "+" button to go to the camera screen.
- Tap the "Effects" icon on the left sidebar (it looks like sparkles).
- In the search bar, type "Teenage Look" and select the filter with the purple icon.
- You can also access the filter from videos using it by tapping the filter name at the bottom of the screen.
Recording Tips
- Use natural, bright lighting. Face the window if indoors. The filter looks most flattering and convincing in daylight.
- Hold the camera straight on and keep your face centered for the most dramatic transformation.
- Experiment with your facial expressions. Try to keep a blank face, then act shocked when you tap to reveal the filter.
- Film a few takes with and without the filter. You can edit it together later for a satisfying before-and-after effect.
- Try using the TikTok "morph" transition for a seamless filter reveal, or the green screen effect to show your real face side-by-side.
Creative Content Ideas
- Use the sound "I wish I could be a teenager again" for a classic take on the trend. Or put your own unique twist on it with a different sound.
- Show the filter to your parents or grandparents and film their reactions to seeing their "teen self".
- Use the filter on old photos of yourself and compare to the present day.
- Tell a fictional story as your teenage character. Use TikTok‘s text-to-speech effect for a funny voiceover.
- Apply the filter to celebrities, characters, or historical figures using photos. Teenage George Washington, anyone?
- Use the hashtags #teenagefilter and #teenageselfie to join the trend and show up in searches.
Above all, remember to use the teenage filter in moderation and don‘t take it as a reflection of reality. You‘re perfect as you are, at any age! Happy TikTokking!
