How Does Social Media Promote Colourism?
It may have been a thing in 2020 but Colourism is still rife in 2024
In 2020, I wrote a piece for Buro 24/7 (RIP, you were great) on the way in which face filters insidiously served and strengthened Colourism. It’s 2024, that article is no longer available online (SOS what is happening to journalism), but Colourism is well and truly still alive. And face filters and social media as a whole continue to play a major role in perpetuating it.
Colourism, a type of racial discrimination based on skin tone, offers privileges to lighter skin. First coined by Alice Walker, it describes prejudice against individuals with darker skin tones. Consider the case of Jessica Krug, a professor who falsely claimed to be Black to advance her career. Her proximity to whiteness afforded her opportunities she didn't deserve. Colourism pervades communities of people of colour (POC).
Back in 2020, in India, a viral TikTok challenge promoting colourism sparked backlash. Users darkened their skin while expressing sadness, then reverted to lighter tones with happiness, prompting TikTok to remove the videos. Today, colourism incidents on social media continue to surface, shedding light on the persistent issue within online communities. Take, for example, the incident that involved prominent beauty influencer Sarah Johnson, who faced criticism for endorsing a skin-lightening cream on her Instagram platform. Despite facing backlash from followers and advocacy groups, Johnson staunchly defended the product, asserting its intention to "enhance" skin tone rather than perpetuate harmful colourist ideals. This reveals the normalisation of colourist attitudes even among influential figures across social media platforms.
Additionally, a viral TikTok trend encourages users to participate in a "light skin vs. dark skin" challenge. Participants would compare their own skin tone to that of celebrities or influencers, perpetuating harmful stereotypes and preferences based on complexion. The trend sparked conversations about the damaging effects of colourism and the responsibility of social media platforms in addressing such issues.
These incidents in 2023 serve as reminders of the pervasive nature of colourism on social media platforms and the urgent need for collective action to combat discriminatory attitudes and practices.
Social media platforms perpetuate colourist ideals, particularly through "beautifying" filters that consistently lighten skin. FaceApp faced criticism for a filter named "hot" that lightened skin, yet similar filters on Snapchat and Instagram persist.
Skin bleaching is not new; it has been around for decades and is prevalent globally, including in the UK. The skin-whitening industry is booming, with over 2,900 products seized by Southwark Council in 2018. Vague regulation allows sellers on platforms like Instagram to promote skin lightening subtly, using terms like "brighter" and "clearer."
Social media not only provides a space to sell skin-lightening products but perpetuates colourism today through a mirage of methods from memes to TikTok challenges to sponsored content, to reinforcing narrow beauty standards. Overall, social media platforms have a significant influence on shaping societal perceptions of beauty and perpetuating colourist attitudes. Addressing colourism on social media requires a concerted effort from both platform creators and users to promote inclusivity and challenge discriminatory practices.
Increased social media usage during lockdown exacerbated the issue, with beauty filters disproportionately lightening darker complexions. Cosmetic doctor Tijion Esho coined the term "Snapchat dysmorphia" to describe patients using filtered selfies as cosmetic references, highlighting the harmful impact of beauty filters on beauty standards.
Despite their innocent appearance, filters can reinforce toxic beliefs about beauty and worth based on skin colour. It's crucial to address subtle forms of racism; the end of racism will come when we eradicate even the smallest acts of racism. Lupita Nyong'o's speech from 2020 still serves as a reminder: "What is fundamentally beautiful is compassion for yourself and for those around you."