Yes, I like how I look with AI & No, I don't have insecurity issues

Ever used an AI filter and loved the result? Apparently, that means you have deep-seated self-esteem issues. 🙃 Let's talk about why that's a reductive take and why joy, not insecurity, is often the real motivator.

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Let’s set the scene. You’re scrolling through your camera app, and a new AI filter pops up. You try it on. Your eyes are a little brighter, your skin is smooth, maybe you have ethereal fairy wings or a cool cyberpunk glow. You snap a picture, you love it, you post it. It’s fun.

Then, the comment arrives.

“It’s sad you feel the need to alter your face.”

“Just love the real you!”

“The insecurity is loud.”

Suddenly, your moment of playful joy is diagnosed by a stranger on the internet as a crippling crisis of self-worth. Talk about a plot twist.

Well, I’m here to say it: I love how I look with AI enhancements. And no, it’s not because I hate how I look without them.

AI as a Playground, Not a Protest

The assumption that using a filter is a rejection of your natural face is incredibly reductive. It frames our relationship with our image as a binary: you either 100% accept your unaltered self, or you’re drowning in insecurity.

Human beings are more complex than that. We experiment with makeup, we dye our hair, we choose clothes that make us feel powerful. We use lighting and angles in photos. Are these all acts of self-loathing? Of course not. They are acts of creative expression.

AI filters are just the newest tool in that toolbox. They are a digital playground where I can be a glowing alien, a renaissance painting, or just a version of myself with perfect lighting on a bad skin day. It’s not a protest against my reality; it’s an addition to it. It’s fun.

The Audacity of Joyful Vanity

There’s an underlying puritanical thread to the criticism, especially directed at women. We’re allowed to care about our appearance, but we must do so within strict, unspoken rules. We must project "natural beauty" without visibly trying to achieve it. It’s exhausting!

Liking a filtered image of myself isn’t a cry for help; it’s a moment of joyful vanity. It’s me saying, "Wow, that version looks cool!" It’s the same feeling I get when I wear a fantastic outfit or a bold lipstick that just works. It’s an affirmation of my own aesthetic taste, not a denial of my face.

My Confidence is Non-Negotiable (With or Without AI)

Here’s the most important part: my foundation of self-worth is solid. I know I am worthy, beautiful, and complete exactly as I am when I wake up in the morning. That confidence is what allows me to play with AI without it damaging my self-perception.

Because I know I’m cute IRL, I can also enjoy being a glittery AI elf. The two are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they fuel each other. The security I have in my "real" self gives me the freedom to explore fantastical digital versions without any emotional risk.

The projection that everyone using a filter must be insecure says more about the critic’s black-and-white worldview than it does about the user’s mental state.

So, Can We Normalize Letting People Enjoy Things?

At its core, this is about minding our own business and allowing people to find joy where they find it.

• Is someone using a filter to create a hyper-unrealistic beauty standard and claiming it’s real? That’s a different conversation.

• Is someone using a filter for fun, for art, or because it makes them smile? Let them.

Life is hard enough. If a silly, sparkly, AI-enhanced version of my face brings me a moment of happiness, that’s a win. It’s not a symptom; it’s a spark of joy.

So yes, I like how I look with AI. And I also like how I look without it. My ability to hold both of those truths at once isn’t confusion—it’s confidence.

And that’s my final answer.

What do you think? Is using AI filters a harmless digital playground, or do you see it differently? Let's have a respectful chat in the comments!