The new term “iPhone face” has led to a new meaning of self-consciousness on the internet. With a new feature to consider about themselves, teenagers may feel the need to change the way they look to fit a different type of stereotype. Actors have to think most about this term, being the ones judged for their looks specific to the time periods their work is set in.
What is iPhone face?
This new term emerged in 2023 when talking about actors, specifically referring to their appearance. One X user recognized that the cast of Daisy Jones & the Six did not look like they were from the 1970s, almost as if they looked like they had iPhones. As the movie is about a real band from this time period, it was necessary that the actors fit the part.
The term “iPhone face” is relevant to the time period we live in. “Smartphone face” is an alternative for the term. People use the phrase to describe people with modern features. This means that someone could not pass for being from an older time period. The idea is that these people look like they have iPhones.
Some of the characteristics that make up iPhone face are smooth skin, high cheekbones and symmetrical features. They seem too perfect and manufactured, meaning there is no way they could be from another time period.
Bodily manufacturing
With the growth of the cosmetic industry, people are able to pay to do whatever they want with their faces.
This past year, Mandy Moore has been an incredible example of this. After getting plastic surgery, Moore appeared on the red carpet looking completely unrecognizeable. The actress looked like she was much younger than she was, which was abnormal. Fans do not expect people to reverse age, but that is what Moore did.
There is no official explanation as to how she changed her look so significantly. People either believe that she had plastic surgery or went on the weight-loss drug Ozempic. There is another theory that this change came from cancer or another health-related issue.
The issue is not how she changed, just the fact that she has. Moore is not the only celebrity who has used modern medicine to change the way she looks. This adds to the idea that people think they have to look perfect and why modern looks are so different from those of the past.
Influencer Khloe Kardashian is often referenced when discussing cosmetic surgery as well. The influencer revealed that she has had a rhinoplasty, injections and lost weight to contribute to her dramatic change. While these are not the most dramatic options for people, she is a famous example of someone who tries to look perfect. This contributes to the modern-looking group.
Not every celebrity has used cosmetics to look perfect, but the ones who have can be problematic on the internet. If they think they have to look perfect, then they send a message to younger generations that they have to be perfect as well.
People with iPhone face
Going back to the root of the term, Sam Claflin being cast in Daisy Jones & the Six was one of the first examples of someone with a clear definition iPhone face. With his high cheekbones and modern face, his roles in older movies such as Enola Holmes and Snow White and the Huntsman are just slightly off-putting to viewers.
Dakota Johnson is another great example. She was cast in an adaptation of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, which some felt was the wrong choice. Johnson has high cheekbones as well, in addition to clear skin and iconic bangs that match current styles.
Another book adaptation casting crime was Florence Pugh in Little Women. While she is an incredible actress, her face shape, eyebrows and unique look puts her in a modern lens.
These actors have not gone through massive cosmetic surgery, but they are still the perfect faces that people see. Younger and younger people are getting access to the internet, which causes issues. If children see these actors who look perfect with natural features, then they think they are less for not.
It’s not about you
An interesting idea about iPhone face is that it is not always about the celebrities. Modern cameras, lenses and angles provide a modern look. With the improvement of technology, this is no surprise.
New styles of directing and photography go along with these changes and contribute to the lack of older looks.
When people see themselves on screen, they want to see the most polished version of themselves, forcing cinematography to improve. This says very little about how good people look now and is more about how people want to perceive themselves.
Potential for harm
Stereotypes, cosmetic surgery and perfect faces leave a lasting impact on young social media users.
If impressionable children see that there are people who look perfect, then they may think that they too have to be this way. Seeing everyone online be the exact same is problematic and makes people hate their natural features.
On the other hand, some actors are discriminated against for their natural looks. Putting people into boxes and saying they are too pretty or too “modern” to play a role makes people hate who they are. While this term did not stem from a place of hatred, it could very easily turn into one.
Some people on TikTok have been posting about the fact that they have iPhone face, beginning the issues.
While this type of content is not inherently terrble, it could get worse.
The thing is that there are two sides, but there is no way to know which one you should be in. If you decide to look more modern, then you fit into modern roles. If you look older, then you can perform in an older piece. For this reason, we should not be mad when someone is able to be in both types of media.
Future use
The use of “iPhone face” will be monitored by social media. As it is not a widely used term, it is still up in the air as to whether it will turn into one.
The only thing we can do regarding the concern for issues is to make sure that we appreciate everyone how they are. Nobody has to try and make their face look more or less modern. Natural features are part of life, and everyone looks different for a reason.
Cosmetic surgery is not going anywhere, so we have to find a way to accept that into Hollywood as well. While it creates unrealistic beauty standards, some people prefer to look different.
Realistically, this is just a new way we can put each other down. It is a category that we might just completely forget about. Hopefully, we can try to refrain from discriminating actors for being too modern-looking, as well as making younger generations think they have to fit one of the boxes.
