COSMETIC TOWN JOURNAL



A New Report Claims Young Girls Are Being Targeted By Plastic Surgery Games And Apps

Posted July 14, 2017
Are kids being targeted by apps to have plastic surgery?

In a disturbing new report, girls as young as nine years old are being targeted by cosmetic surgery apps. Experts warn that the apps are an effort to groom younger patients who want to make a change in their appearance.

According to a report from the Nuffield Council on Bioethics in London, girls under the age of 18 should be prevented from having Botox, fillers or any type of plastic surgery. They are also asking for new restrictions on any online games that promote the idea that young women should undergo any type of cosmetic surgery.

The Nuffield Council found that kids and teens are being targeted by online games that include plastic surgery simulators. The simulators are designed to show the kids and teens the various ways their bodies can be altered through plastic surgery. The Council is calling for a ban on cosmetic procedures on anyone under 18 years of age unless the procedure needs to be performed for a legitimate medical reason.

They are also asking for stricter measures in order for those under 18 to be protected from any apps and games that can exploit any insecurities children and teens have about their appearance.  Although some games and apps have been removed from the Apple app store, there are more being created in order to take the place of the deleted apps on phones and other devices where they can be accessed by kids.

Jeanette Edwards, Professor of Social Anthropology at the University of Manchester and the chair of the Council inquiry into cosmetic procedures, said: "We've been shocked by some of the evidence we've seen, including make-over apps and cosmetic surgery 'games' that target girls as young as nine. There is a daily bombardment from advertising and through social media channels like Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat that relentlessly promote unrealistic and often discriminatory messages on how people, especially girls and women, 'should' look."

Other members of the inquiry group warned that many younger people considering having a procedure had little idea of the dangers that could be involved. The Council is working on changing the belief that even common, and popular, treatments such as fillers are risk-free. They also state that patients younger than 18 should only be allowed to have an invasive cosmetic procedure if a team of health professionals and psychologists have been consulted and deemed the procedure to be necessary for the health of the patient.  

MA

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