Dahlia Mercado knew the geometry of her body before she knew the geometry of a camera lens. At 4’11”, she was a “fun size” in a world built for five-foot-six. In heels, she reached 5’1”—what her mother called “pandak na sosyal” (short but classy). But online, height was irrelevant. In the square prison of a smartphone screen, all that mattered was the face and the story behind it.

“I don’t want to look helpless.”