How Cultivation Theory Helps Us Understand China’s Beauty Filter Ban and Its Impact on Body Image

In late 2025, China made headlines with its decision to ban the overuse of beauty filters in television dramas in an effort to promote “healthy and masculine aesthetics” and curb unrealistic portrayals of beauty. This move reflects a broader cultural concern: the power of media - traditional and digital alike - to shape our sense of what is normal and desirable when it comes to human appearance. But what does psychology tell us about how these media messages influence perceptions of beauty and self-worth? One useful framework for understanding these effects is cultivation theory.

What Is Cultivation Theory?

Originally developed by George Gerbner in the 1970s, cultivation theory suggests that long-term exposure to media content can shape individuals’ perceptions of reality. In its classic form, the theory explained how heavy television viewing could make people see the real world through the same distorted lens that TV shows presented, such as exaggerated violence or idealised lifestyles. 

In today’s media landscape, social media platforms have taken centre stage as key “cultivators” of norms and ideals. Instead of broadcast television alone, users are now repeatedly exposed to carefully curated and often idealised images of people, many of them digitally enhanced. This constant visual messaging can subtly reshape how we view beauty standards, self-image, and even social expectations. 

Beauty Filters: Fun or Harmful?

Beauty filters were originally introduced on social platforms as playful ways to tweak selfies; smoothing skin, brightening eyes, or reshaping facial features. Some filters, like TikTok’s “Bold Glamour,” went viral, being used hundreds of millions of times within months of release. 

However, mounting research shows that these filters may have unintended psychological consequences. A growing body of evidence links frequent filter use with body dissatisfaction, heightened self-comparison, increased desire to lose weight, and intensified self-objectification. For example, one study found that participants who used slimming beauty filters reported stronger social comparison and internalised unattainable beauty ideals more than those who simply viewed filtered images of others. 

Another quantitative analysis showed that among young adults, people who used filters daily scored significantly higher on measures of body dissatisfaction than those who rarely or never used them. Participants also reported lower confidence in their natural appearance and admitted feeling pressure to maintain a filtered version of themselves online. 

What’s important here is how repeated exposure to idealised digital images - images that users often subconsciously internalise as “normal” - can cultivate unrealistic beauty standards, affecting users’ self-perceptions and expectations over time. This is exactly what cultivation theory predicts: media content doesn’t just entertain us, it subtly shapes what we believe is typical, desirable, and authentic. 

China’s Response: A Cultural Shift?

Against this backdrop, China’s ban on beauty filter overuse in dramas takes on new significance. The policy aims to reduce exaggerated and artificial beauty portrayals on mass media and encourage more “natural” representation in popular culture. While the policy has been described in Chinese media as promoting “healthy and masculine aesthetics,” the broader impulse seems to be a growing awareness of how visual media influences self-image across generations. 

This decision resonates with concerns raised in academic studies: social media-driven body ideals can affect users’ mental health and self-esteem. Globally, extensive research across 17 countries has found that social media use - especially among young people aged 10 to 24 - is associated with body image concerns, disordered eating behaviours, and increased self-objectification, often mediated through social comparison processes. 

Given these patterns, regulatory and cultural efforts to moderate how beauty is portrayed in media, especially where children and adolescents are concerned, may be an important step in reducing the cultivation of narrow, unrealistic beauty ideals.

Why It Matters for Mental Well-Being

The psychological mechanisms underlying these effects are closely tied to what researchers call social comparison bias - the tendency to evaluate ourselves against others’ appearance, particularly idealised portrayals in media. Repeated comparisons against filtered or edited images can lead to lower self-esteem, body dissatisfaction, and anxiety. 

In a society where traditional media has long shaped what “beauty” looks like, the shift to constantly optimised digital images accelerates and intensifies these effects. Cultivation theory helps explain why the cumulative impact of seeing repeated, idealised bodies - whether on TV screens or social feeds - can make media portrayals feel like the standard of beauty, even if they are digitally constructed or misleading. 

What This Means for You

At OLIP Therapy, we recognise that media is a powerful force in shaping not just trends, but individuals’ inner lives. Understanding the psychological impact of media exposure - especially in relationship to body image and self-perception - is essential in today’s digital age.

We work with clients to explore how internalised media messages can influence self-worth, stress responses, and body image, and we support positive strategies for cultivating self-acceptance. This includes challenging unrealistic standards, developing mindful media habits, and strengthening emotional resilience.

While policies like China’s beauty filter ban are a step toward mitigating harmful media effects, lasting change also involves individuals learning to navigate media consciously rather than unconsciously. Cultivating a healthier relationship with visual content requires awareness, intention, and sometimes guided support.

Conclusion: Beyond Filters to Reality

Cultivation theory reminds us that media doesn’t just reflect culture; it helps create it. In a world awash with idealised images and digital enhancements, being mindful of what we consume and internalise matters more than ever. China’s recent policy shift offers a timely invitation to reflect on how beauty standards are constructed and how they affect our inner world.

At OLIP Therapy, we believe that fostering self-acceptance and media literacy are key parts of building healthier relationships with ourselves and the world around us. OLIP Therapy offers appointments seven days a week, online and in-person at a time to suit you. Contact us today to find out how OLIP can help you to live the life you want and deserve.