Netizens call for a ban on the ‘chubby filter’ on TikTok, here’s why

The biggest scare American social media influencers and users have received in a while was the 12 hours when TikTok was banned in the country. It affected their emotions so much so that a ‘bye-bye-TikTok’ trend began in the country where people posted videos and stories expressing how it had changed their lives and that it would be missed.
Now, that the app is in full swing in the US, social media life is back to its trend fads and craze. However, while usually things trend on TikTok for a positive reason, a filter available on the app is now trending for all the wrong reasons. The ‘chubby filter’ on the app shows how a person would look if they gained body weight. While there’s nothing wrong with the filter, its perception has become a harrowing reality for some.
People all over the world are making videos using the filter and rather than accepting or appreciating the way they look in it, they are criticising their appearance with statements such as “that’s how to get me to stay in the gym.” This has become a trending nightmare for people with curvy bodies who are feeling insulted and degraded for their natural shapes.
Recently, BBC interviewed some TikTokers to take their review on the trend and most of them are calling for it to be “banned.” "It felt like girls being like, 'oh, I've won because I'm skinny and wouldn't it be the worst thing ever to be fat'," said Sadie, a 29-year-old TikToker with 66,000 followers. “The fear of weight gain contributes to eating disorders and body dissatisfaction...it pressures everyone to conform to narrow beauty and health standards” said Dr Emma Beckett, a food and nutrition scientist.


Additionally, people on X have been criticising the filter as well. “How I feel when I watch the #AI chubby filter on #Tiktok mean girl energy get in the ,” “this chubby filter thing on TikTok is actually insane who tf made this up,” and “the ‘chubby filter’ on TikTok should NOT be trending and the comments people are making when posting to it are so damaging. makes me so incredibly sad that ‘trends’ like this are still circulating???”
The rise of this trend is essentially guiding people back to the zero-figure and diet culture where maintaining a skinny body is the utmost task in life. This leads to ignorance of one’s health and a rise in eating, physical and mental disorders as well. Also, they can be disturbing to people with curvy bodies and make them compare themselves to others through a negative lens.