Editorial

I remember the days of the Snapchat filters. I'll admit, I've used a couple of them. There was a dog one, and the extremely popular flower crown which became a customary filter on Pahela Baishakh. While I've come far from my days of spending hours on the internet browsing through people's lives, I understand the momentary visual appeal of a perfect skin on my photo feed.

However, if you're living in an augmented reality, I have news for you. You're fooling yourself. The internet, and social media, does enough to make us feel both inferior and superior depending on activities and perspective; why get stuck in an endless loop and contribute to mental health issues that might create polarizing personalities?

This week's cover story unveils the true façade behind the mass usage of AR filters. Whether you know it or not, whether you agree to it or not – how you use the internet defines how it uses you. The question remains, can the people take back this power in their own hands?

-- Kazi Akib Bin Asad, Editor In-charge, SHOUT