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Kate Chan

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.
“It turns out that behind the photo retouching, they have a lot of negative criticism of themselves.”
Lam added that frequent photo-editing was linked to lower self-compassion.
The survey was jointly conducted by the Hong Kong Mental Wellness Association and Baptist Oi Kwan Social Service from December 2025 to May 2026.
According to the 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, more than a third said they disliked their reflection in mirrors or photos, and about 36 per cent were dissatisfied with their looks.
Female respondents, tertiary students and young working professionals were more likely to edit their photos. About 20.2 per cent of respondents, mostly young adults, frequently criticised themselves, while 18.9 per cent – mainly minors – struggled with self-kindness.

Lam attributed the trend to major life transitions, adding social media had become a platform for them to show their external images.
“We can see that almost all of the respondents are more concerned about their body shape or facial features,” said Scarlet Poon Fung-oi, Baptist Oi Kwan Social Service’s assistant chief executive officer.
Separately, when asked to rate well-being according to the World Health Organization reporting scale, 48.9 per cent of respondents gave a score lower than the recommended grade of 13, indicating a “need for attention”.
Mental well-being was also noticeably worse among young adults aged 18 to 30, with 55.2 per cent scoring below the internationally recommended level, compared with 45.8 per cent among minors aged 11 to 17.
The survey organisers said efforts from schools and workplaces were needed to encourage young people to accept their authentic selves, practise self-compassion, and foster supportive environments that help them recognise their value and self-worth.
“We can motivate them to appreciate different facets of themselves from diverse angles,” Poon said. “If we teach them to love who they naturally are in all their different aspects, they won’t feel compelled to fixate solely on flawless, perfect angles.
“What matters most is whether the photo-retouching behaviour affects their daily life, like wearing a face mask all the time, or whether it affects their interaction with others or undermines their courage to express themselves.”


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Health & Environment

Frequent photo-editing linked to low self-compassion and negative criticism of appearance, mental health expert says


Frequent photo-editing linked to low self-compassion and negative criticism of appearance, mental health expert says.


Mental health

Gen Z

Social media

Baptist Oi Kwan Social Service (Hong Kong)

7 in 10 Gen Z Hongkongers retouch photos of themselves before posting: survey

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Frequent photo-editing linked to low self-compassion and negative criticism of appearance, mental health expert says

Frequent photo-editing linked to low self-compassion and negative criticism of appearance, mental health expert says