The Ethical Concerns of Editing Photos in Media and Its Impact on Beauty Standards

Abstract

Editing photos is a powerful tool that can shape how people think about beauty. This review study highlights the impact of editing photos on beauty standards, necessitating an in-depth examination of subject. Drawing from a sample of n= 20 research articles selected through inclusion and exclusion criteria and the PRISMA approach, the study synthesizes results from articles published over the time period of 10 years , from 2015 to 2025. The findings show that it’s important for people to learn how to understand and question what they see in the media. There should also be clear rules about how much editing is okay, and people need to be more honest about when and how photos are changed. It was concluded through selected literature reviewed that editing of photos especially on social media promotes narrow and often impossible beauty standards. It was concluded that photo editing isn't just about fun or creativity actually it is a powerful tool that shapes how people think about beauty.

Keywords: Ethics, Photo editing, digital manipulation, social media, beauty standards.