Social media apps that rate 鈥済ood looks鈥 can lead to anxiety and lower self-esteem in kids and online bullying, experts warn. Hundreds of millions of people use alternative reality filters every day 鈥 from comic dog ears to beauty filters that reshape noses, whiten teeth and widen eyes. But there has also been a rise in apps such as Beauty Scanner. The apps prompt users to upload a selfie so AI can rate facial symmetry and structure and the proportion of features. Another website, Pretty Scale, says: 鈥淎m I pretty? Am I ugly? Analyze your face in 3 minutes.鈥 Beauty Scanner, which says it is suitable for users over the age of four, compares users鈥 results with celebrities, while other apps offer 鈥渄igital facelifts鈥. Ghislaine Bombusa, of online safety awareness group Internet Matters, warned relentless messaging about looking good can distort a child鈥檚 sense of identity and worth. She said: 鈥淚n recent years, platforms have created an online culture strongly focused on body image, through features such as the ability to 鈥榣ike鈥 and comment on posts, the use of beauty filters and AI image enhancement, and recommender systems prioritising celebrity content. 鈥淐hildren and young people can be exposed to relentless messaging about appearance and the importance of looking good, which is not balanced with messages about other skills and talents. This means that children can become highly focused on what they see in the mirror and can develop negative thoughts about the impact of their appearance, which can become so routine that they can be difficult for young people to recognise or stop. In extreme cases, they can fuel the development of eating disorders as well as other mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. 鈥 She added: 鈥漈he 鈥楶rettiness Rating鈥 apps take this situation to a new level and there is a significant risk to children. Features such as giving a 鈥榩retty score鈥 will feed into children鈥檚 insecurities and impact their self-esteem, as well as fuelling online bullying by peers sharing scores through online platforms. 鈥淐rucially, many children open these apps in search of validation and acceptance. When that need is met with an algorithmic score, it narrows how they see themselves. Identity becomes tethered to looks alone, while the qualities that truly shape their future such as skills, talents and character are pushed to the margins. Over time this can distort a child鈥檚 sense of who they are and how they measure their own worth. 鈥 A study by Prof Sonia Livingstone, a professor of social psychology at the London School of Economics, says that the pressures and social comparisons that result from using increasingly image-manipulated social media may even have a greater effect on mental health than seeing violence. She said: 鈥淥ur just published research shows how comparing one鈥檚 appearance to that of others on social media is linked to depression and anxiety symptoms. An AI app to give young people a 鈥榩retty score鈥 seems both unnecessary and unwise. For those with mental health problems, it may make things worse.鈥 In November TikTok announced new worldwide restrictions on children鈥檚 access to those that ape the effects of cosmetic surgery. It came after an investigation into the feelings of nearly 200 teenagers and parents in the UK, US and several other countries found girls were 鈥渟usceptible to feelings of low self-worth鈥 as a result of their online experiences. Pretty Scale and Beauty Scanner did not respond to our requests for comment. Internet Matters urges parents to be extremely cautious. Consider blocking these apps entirely, and, whatever your technical choices, keep talking. Help children build a healthy body image, celebrate their abilities beyond appearance and question the idea that a rating can define them. Practical guidance on starting these conversations, alongside step鈥慴y guide can be found at: https://www.internetmatters.org/resources/promoting-positive-body-image-with-children