You arrive at a place, it seems nice to you and mechanically, almost by inertia, you pick up your phone to take a selfie and post it on your social networks.
This act, which is so common today, was once the exception to the rule. Back then we used to ask the person closest to us to take a photo of us because taking it ourselves was the last option, the one that almost no one wanted to resort to. However, today selfies are in fashion, they are a trend.
Thus, we can find selfies of people walking, eating, sharing with their friends, looking at something “interesting”, just getting up, about to go to sleep… And an endless series of ellipses…
However, have you ever wondered how selfies can change your life and what they say about you?
We must keep in mind that technology does not just do things for us, it does things for us and, as a result, it changes not only what we do but also who we are .
Life through a lens
Selfies, like any other photo, interrupt the experience we are living, especially if we spend extra time uploading them to social media. The selfie implies putting ourselves “on pause” and sometimes it also means putting those around us on hold, in the desire to document our lives.
Of course, the desire to immortalize certain moments of our existence has always existed, the problem is that digital cameras now accompany us wherever we go, so they are also much more invasive than before. Because of this, there are people who have begun to see the world through the digital eye, forgetting how to enjoy the experience.
Personality with narcissistic and psychopathic traits
A recent study by researchers at Ohio State University has revealed that men who post more selfies on social media also have narcissistic and psychopathic traits.
Of course, it’s not surprising that men who post more selfies and spend more time editing their images have a narcissistic streak, but this is the first time it has been confirmed through a scientific study. And it’s worth noting that although the research was conducted on men, its results could just as easily apply to women.
However, the most curious thing about the study is that it also reveals traits of an antisocial personality. Although in these cases, the men did not usually edit the images but uploaded them directly to social networks, which makes sense since one of the characteristics of psychopathy is precisely impulsivity.
When self-esteem depends on physical appearance
The study also found that editing photos was associated with high levels of self-objectification, a concept that refers to people who value themselves predominantly for their physical appearance, rather than for personality traits or their abilities and achievements. In other words, many of the people who tended to post edited selfies on social media based their self-esteem on their physical appearance.
At this point, a vicious circle closes, which can be very damaging. People who have a tendency to self-objectify upload more selfies to social networks and, when they receive positive comments about their physical appearance, these comments reinforce their behavior. In the long run, it is an artificially high self-esteem that does not take into account other factors of their personality.
In fact, another study conducted at the University of Buffalo revealed that people who share the most photos on social media are those whose self-esteem is based primarily on the opinions of others. This means that they are very exposed to the evaluation of others, and that their emotional state depends largely on the level of acceptance of their photos.
Interpersonal relationships suffer
One of the most interesting studies on the selfie phenomenon was conducted at the University of Birmingham. These psychologists discovered that the more selfies people take, the more they affect interpersonal relationships. Why?
Firstly, because the people around you may feel self-conscious or relegated to the background, while you put the emphasis on yourself.
Secondly, they are under the stress of having to be ready at all times to smile at the camera, not knowing when the next flash might come. This stress inevitably leads to irritability.
Thirdly, because it creates a feeling of competition between friends, which is not beneficial for gaining intimacy.
What is the solution?
It’s not that selfies are bad in and of themselves. In fact, they’ve been around for several decades. The problem is that today they are the expression of an image-obsessed society that has embraced narcissism.
It is therefore important to learn to enjoy each moment and to use technology in moderation. The people around us will thank us for it and our psychological balance will benefit. Remember that sometimes it is more important to enjoy the experience than to immortalize it in an image. The image will probably be lost among thousands of other photos, but the experiences and emotions you live will remain forever in your memory.
References:
Fox, J. & Rooney, M. C. (2015) The Dark Triad and trait self-objectification as predictors of men’s use and self-presentation behaviors on social networking sites. Personality and Individual Differences; 76: 161-165.
Houghton, D. J. et. Al. (2013) Tagger’s delight? Disclouser and liking in Facebook: The effects of sharing photographs amongst multiple known social circles. In: University of Birmingham.
Stefanone, M. A. (2011) Contingencies of Self-Worth and Social-Networking-Site Behavior. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking; 14(1-2): 41-49.
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