The Information Disorder In Us

Beauty algorithms that mash fantasy with reality are a pervasive — and damaging — form of misinformation

In 1999 there was RateMyFace. The site allowed users to rate the attractiveness of photos submitted by others. In 2000, the idea took off with Hot or Not, which inspired social media sites like YouTube. Most famously, Mark Zuckerberg launched his spinoff and Facebook precursor, Facemash, for Harvard students in 2003. In 2007, BecauseImHot made the concept more toxic by deleting anyone with a rating below seven from the site. This all happened before algorithms infiltrated all aspects of our lives.

Appearance judgment is among those most engaging features on the most engaging apps. Instagram Explore pages determined which faces and bodies would get the most likes. Snapchat filters morphed features to fit “ideal” beauty standards. FaceTune allowed for personalized exploration into what you could look like. And apps like PrettyScale went old school by assigning users a beauty score, this time with facial analysis tech.

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