SkinneePix App Shaves 15 Lbs Off Any Selfie: Does App Promote Harmful Self-Image? (VIDEO)
SkinneePix, a new app that became available to iPhone and Android users last month, allows people to slim their selfie photos down by about 15 lbs. Although some have criticized the $0.99 app for promoting a harmful self-image among the young women it is marketed to, the creators of the app claim it functions as a goal for woman who are trying to lose weight.
SkinneePix was released by Smart Pretty Women, and developers Susan Green and Robin J. Phillips came up with the idea after taking a vacation with friends. They said many of their friends didn't like pictures they had taken, so they resolved to find a way to fix it.
"All we heard people say was 'delete that, don't you dare tag me in that, this is horrible.' After the last vacation, we were like we can do something about this," Green told The Los Angeles Times. "You've always heard about the camera adding 15 pounds, we just wanted to level the playing field."
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Although the app hasn't been out for very long, it has already garnered criticism. Smriti Sinha of PolicyMic called it "a built-in enabler for those with low self-esteem," pointing out that the app's tagline "our little secret" reminds the girls to keep their self-conscious attitudes to themselves.
Sarah Gray of Salon agreed, writing that SkinneePix "enforces the digital manipulation that many magazines are criticized for."
Green disagrees, though, saying it can function as motivation for those looking to live a healthier lifestyle.
"The first time I saw myself in that app, I felt better seeing my face a little slimmer," Green told the Huffington Post. "It's not this huge change. When I saw it I remember thinking, 'Gosh, I feel better about this picture,' and that's only 15 pounds … We're hearing now people are using it to motivate themselves to get healthy, that's how I'm using that now, because I can see something that's attainable."
