Last week I was enjoying lunch with my mom when she mentioned a story she had heard on the radio about the Skinny Mirror. I was intrigued, so I did some research to find out why a reflective device was making headlines.
The Skinny Mirror isn't new. It appeared on ABC's "Shark Tank" in October 2015, but NBC News recently revisited the idea after they tested the product on the public. The mirror is designed to make the user appear five to 10 pounds slimmer. Their website claims that this effect more accurately depicts your true size because regular mirrors flatten you out and make you two-dimensional, while the Skinny Mirror is specially engineered to reflect your three-dimensional image. An NBC article refutes that claim, referencing experts who say regular mirrors don't actually add weight to your appearance. The company's owner maintains that her mission is to make people feel better about themselves by changing their perception of their bodies.
The use of this mirror in fitting rooms is causing controversy. Shoppers try on their clothes and see the reflection in the Skinny Mirror, which makes them look noticeably thinner and boosts confidence about what they're wearing. They purchase the clothes and get home to put them on, only to find that their outfit doesn't look nearly as good as it did in the store. The mirrors were originally created for personal use, so this misleading marketing can only be attributed to the retailers, not the mirror's creator. In response, the makers of the Skinny Mirror opted to label their product to distinguish it from regular mirrors. Unfortunately, the logo is incredibly small and barely visible in the bottom corner of the glass, so no one knows to look for it. Using deceptive marketing strategies to sell a product is nothing new, but in this case, it may have detrimental effects on the customer's self-image.
Many would agree with the creator of the Skinny Mirror, who says that the mirror teaches you to love your body by showing you a more positive image of yourself and changing your perception over time. Others, including "Shark Tank"'s Kevin O'Leary, contend that the self-confidence championed by the mirror's creator is deceptive because it distorts the reflection of your body. This is the side I'm going to focus on. Body image has a substantial effect on your energy, confidence, and overall mood. Research shows that feeling confident about the way you look can lead to a more successful career and better overall quality of life. I feel that the Skinny Mirror is trying to foster body-positivity in a misguided way. By tweaking the user's reflection, the mirror sends a message that the real you isn't good enough, but the lighter, slimmer version is something you can be confident about. It perpetuates the idea that you have to be thin to be attractive. This message contradicts the creator's philosophy and ends up doing more harm than good. In reality, Skinny Mirror users are going to see themselves in regular mirrors more often than not. The discrepancy between reflections will cause them to question which image they actually look like and it will surely damage their confidence further. Poor body image can result in anything from temporary disappointment to severe consequences like developing depression, anxiety, or an eating disorder. Making people think they need a figure-altering piece of glass to feel confident about themselves is a very counterintuitive way to promote body positivity.
I appreciate where the owner of Skinny Mirror is coming from. I appreciate her philosophy and her drive to make people feel good about themselves. I think her intentions are pure, but her approach contradicts them. How can you feel truly confident about yourself when you feel like you have to use a special mirror to appear more attractive? We should focus on teaching people to be confident in the skin they're in instead of creating products that modify the reality of their reflection.
