Nearly 70 per cent of Gen Z in Hong Kong have retouched photos of themselves before posting on social media, while about half rate their well-being below the international standard, according to a survey exploring self-criticism among the city’s youth.
The survey, released on Monday, polled 983 residents aged 11 to 30 to examine the relationship between young people’s photo-editing habits, self-confidence, self-compassion and emotional well-being.
“We found that the more individuals edit their photos, the more dissatisfied they feel with various aspects of their physical appearance,” said Dr May Lam Mei-ling, founder and president of the Hong Kong Mental Wellness Association.
The survey was jointly conducted by Lam’s association and Baptist Oi Kwan Social Service from December 2025 to May 2026.
“It turns out that behind the photo retouching, they have a lot of negative criticism of themselves,” she said, adding that more frequent photo-editing was linked to lower self-compassion.
According to survey findings, 69.2 per cent of respondents edited their photos before posting them online. The top five most common photo-editing behaviours were concealing physical defects, smoothing skin, slimming down, whitening teeth and highlighting facial features such as cheekbones and eye colour.
About 40 per cent said they were eager to alter their appearance, while more than a third said they disliked their reflection in mirrors or photos, with about 36 per cent being dissatisfied with their looks.
