Digital Mirrors: How Visual Content on Social Media Shapes Empowerment and Approval

Social media represents an ambivalent space for identity construction. While fostering expression, aesthetic filters and idealized models drive homogenization and social comparison. This study explores the tension between authenticity and standardization in visual content production. Focusing on lower secondary school teachers in Foggia, the qualitative research investigates how educators interpret digital manipulation and its impact on self-perception. Through semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, the study maps discursive strategies regarding visual identity. These findings emphasize the need for teacher training in visual education, providing an empirical basis for pedagogical reflections on promoting a critical and conscious use of digital tools.