The Ugly Meter app for the iPhone is designed to scan your photo and then measure your level of beauty. The rating scale results are numbered from one to ten with ten being the ugliest. The app even comments on the results. The thought that this deserved media attention is insane. iPhone users have already downloaded this 99-cent app over 20,000 times.
What about the woman who has already constantly obsessed over her body image? Now they have something that will tear her even further apart. Drive her to plastic surgery or to starvation thinking her face is too fat.
Who set the criteria and determined what's considered beautiful? We've all heard the statement that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Well now it's in the hands of the next iPhone carrier. Mothers will be forced to console their daughters after some student cruelly uses this app to poke fun. Life isn't a Snow White fairytale and there's no magic mirror on the wall. I'd like a chance to rate the creators.
Where do we as consumers draw the line? Why is there a need to have such malicious things in our possession? As long as people buy the apps, they'll continue to offer them. This app's creator maintains that this was only done in fun. However, the reality is that people will use this for malicious purposes. I was also astounded to find that the app has to be purchased directly from apple.com. The Ugly Meter will probably make them some exuberant amount of money.
What we as women have to remember is that we're in control of our destiny. If you feel it, believe it, and don't let something like this app bring you down.
