Fake Faces Fake Faces

Computer Graphic Images rise into the spotlight on social media

BY ABBY KEANE

by the unrealistic expectations CGI models set.

“I think especially with young girls, they may believe it, and then broadcast that on to their own viewpoints of like how their body should look like, or how their face should look,” Sierra said.

However, while CGI models may create harmful body expectations, apps such as Photoshop can cause similar adverse effects. The increased exposure to Photoshop could dampen CGI’s effect on peoples’ perceived body image. “If it’s being used in the sense that like Photoshop is being used

Fakenews and photoshopped images are common themes on the internet. But now, computergenerated humans are infiltrating social media.

A frequent user of social media apps such as Instagram might be familiar with the term “influencer”: people who gain an audience by authenticity on social media and endorse brands for money. However, influencers like Miquela, Bermuda, Blawko or Shudu aren’t actual people. They are computer-generated images that look remarkably similar to real humans. Computer-generated imagery (CGI) are 3D images that are used in video games, commercials, films and now social media. There, they are presented as models and influencers. The generated models often look so real that it can be difficult to know whether they are real humans or CGI models.

Since computer generated images can be difficult to tell apart from real humans, they can easily harm someone’s self confidence if they start comparing themselves with these unrealistic models.

“I think they’re weird and toxic to some. People think they’re actually real, and then likely put that image on themselves,” junior Gabby Sierra said.

According to the Pew Research Center, about seventy-five percent of Instagram users are aged eighteen to twenty-four. Their young age makes them susceptible to being influenced

now, and that’s how we change our standards of other people, then maybe. But I don’t think it would have a large impact,” junior Levi Van Tassel said.

CGI models’ extensive influence has launched a wave of change in marketing. On social media, CGI models advertise mainly clothing lines. Their dramatic look makes them a prime candidate for modeling clothing. Many are booking jobs with fashion lines that real models dream of obtaining.

CGI models are also seen in commercials for non-clothing companies. This makes users wonder if the products they are trying to sell are truly depicted accurately.

“If they’re trying to sell like, let’s say makeup, that’s dishonest because it’s not on an actual person,” Sierra said. “But if they were using a model to hold like a handbag, that would be different because it’s not really affecting the product.”

“I think they’re weird and toxic to some. People think they’re actually real, and then likely put that image on themselves.”

Gabby Sierra, junior “

CGI models could be considered a dishonest way to advertise products, but advertisers already use Photoshop to edit the look of their products in order to make them more appealing to buyers.

“With advertising, CGI is as dishonest as photoshop,” Van Tassel said.

One of the benefits that CGI models have over real models is that they can adapt to fit the image a specific advertiser is looking for. This quality makes them a more favorable choice for companies. Companies see their image as more reliable, therefore minimizing exposure to embarassment.

These highly accommodating CGI models have allowed their creators to fabricate an image of an ideal human, upending the realms of social media and advertising.