The development of technology and the emergence of social networks have provided us with an obvious way to increase self-esteem: just take a photo of yourself, post it for everyone to see and collect the coveted “hearts” - likes. In our purses or pockets there is always a smartphone or tablet that can be taken out at any time to take a good shot.
However, in some cases, seemingly harmless fun turns into an obsession. The desire to take an original photo leads a person to potentially dangerous places and also motivates them to take risky actions.
This is how the fashionable hobby got a medical name - selfie addiction, which American psychologists recognized as a type of mental disorder, but in Russia this manifestation is classified as addictive behavior.
How to recognize selfie addiction and what measures to take to cure this fashionable disease, you will learn in our article.
Selfie - fashionable self-portrait
Selfie - a fashionable self-portrait
First, let's understand the essence of the phenomenon. The fashion for taking photographs of oneself – selfies, which are also called “selfies” or “self-shooting” on social networks, became a trend in 2013 and are still very popular among social network users.
Manufacturers of mobile devices have begun to equip new models with a front camera so that everyone can take a self-portrait at any convenient moment. In addition, mirrors are used for selfies, and now special monopods are used, which allow you to increase the viewing angle of the camera by attaching the smartphone to a long handle.
Some types of selfies have also acquired a separate name:
- photo with your loved one - selfie;
- photo of feet in different shoes on a beautiful background - shufiz;
- if in the photo the lips are folded into a tube and extended forward, it is called duckface;
- frame-reflection in the elevator mirror - elevator look;
- photograph of one’s own buttocks – belfie;
- extreme selfie – photos taken during extreme sports or under dangerous circumstances.
Are selfies dangerous?
Photographing yourself is not dangerous in itself. However, if a person is overly dependent on selfies, then there is undoubtedly a threat to his health. The uncontrollable desire to take pictures of oneself can take an obsessed person far.
Over the past couple of years, “unusual” photos in extreme conditions have become especially popular. Thus, at least a hundred cases of death from thoughtless selfies have been recorded. People, especially teenagers, climbed onto the roofs of high-rise buildings, trains, and collapsing mountain slopes, putting loaded pistols to their heads, which subsequently fired. The absurd deaths could not help but add to the horror of the new hobby.
People addicted to selfies also died due to inattention: the need to take a photo distracted them from danger. There have been cases of accidents due to inappropriate self-photographing. This disease also affects a person's physical health. Patients lose kilos in an attempt to take a good photo, renounce the real world, which does not pass without a trace and is reflected in their eyes and skin.
Since the advent of the disease, more than 100 people have been prescribed treatment every year. In particular, the popularity of smartphones with a high-quality front camera has increased, and a special selfie-stick has been created - a stick that makes it easier to photograph yourself. If we believe the forecasts, this addiction will either lose its popularity soon, or will continue to actively develop and become fully included in the list of mental illnesses.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAXo8FK1JBY
Why does the obsessive desire to take selfies arise?
Why does the desire to take selfies appear
? Let's try to understand the reasons for the emergence of this strange fashion. What motivates young people to take lots of photos of themselves and fill their social media accounts with them?
First of all, teenagers became interested in “self-photography”. There is a simple explanation for this: in adolescence, the formation of a social self occurs. The question that comes first in importance is: “How do others (especially peers and friends) see me?”
Teenagers doubt their own attractiveness, their self-esteem is unstable, which is why they constantly want to know the opinions of society. A simple and always accessible way to get feedback from those around you is to take a selfie and post it on your social network page.
However, the virtual community very often gives an inadequate reaction in the form of insults, negative comments or indifference. Many people automatically like all photos in their feed. Thus, teenagers find themselves disoriented and looking in vain for ways to constantly receive a positive reaction, increasingly falling under the influence of the opinions of social network users.
If an adult is caught up in selfie mania, this may indicate low self-esteem, immaturity, and a similar desire to gain social approval.
Disadvantages of selfies. Mental personality disorders
- The dissatisfaction is deep. This may be due to teenage infantilism. Today you can meet many people who, so to speak, in childhood “didn’t get mad”, “didn’t go out for walks”, who in childhood “were not loved enough”. In this connection, having matured, they try to get this by showing appropriate behavior. Such people start families later than others, tend to frequently change jobs or professions, they are demonstrative and constantly seek positive assessment of their behavior from others. Today, social networks with “likes” are an excellent way of approval. The more “likes” such people receive, the more satisfied they feel.
- Diffidence. Difficulty in accepting one's appearance, fear of rejection. Insecure people also seek approval and support from others. And here social networks also come to their aid. This comes from adolescence, when a person has not accepted himself, his body. If you dig deeper, you can find that this may be due to the lack of a father image (loving and accepting the girl as she is). In order to arouse the interest and admiration of their peers, share their experiences (the absence of their mother or close friends), and also compensate for the lack of love and affection in the family, teenagers are increasingly posting their photos online. But unfortunately, not only teenagers, but also quite adults.
- Obsessive-compulsive neurosis. This is a critical state of selfie lovers. Obsessive-compulsive disorder can be observed in people who take 100 photographs a day, looking for the only one to display online. Excessive enthusiasm can lead to the fact that a person will not be able to cope without special help. Many foreign specialists even prescribe antidepressants, which help you feel more satisfied with life.
- Dysmorphophobia. A mental disorder when a person is firmly convinced that he has some kind of defect on his body or face, or he is worried about even the most insignificant features of his body. People around may never notice these defects, but a person can be so worried about this that sometimes it reaches the point of paranoid feelings and desires to correct something in himself, through plastic surgery, Botax, etc. Such people constantly look in the mirror to find a better angle. In some cases, such people avoid social communication and compensate for it by posting photos on social networks.
Signs of selfie addiction
Signs of selfie addiction
Having a large number of selfies on your account does not in itself indicate illness. Research shows that selfie addiction can be determined by the following signs:
- taking at least three pictures of yourself per day;
- constantly posting these photos on social networks;
- tracking the number of likes and comments.
Another characteristic is also spending a lot of time taking selfies and giving it too much importance.
There are initial, acute and chronic stages of the disease. At the first stage, a person begins to take selfies more often and stores them on his phone; in the acute stage, he or she constantly posts self-portraits on social networks and monitors the reaction of society. At the chronic stage, creating “oneself” becomes an obsession, and the inability to take a photograph of oneself or post a photo is very painful and can cause changes in mood and poor health.
Why do mere mortals need selfies?
If the numerous selfies of the legion of Instagram beauties in various cool locations can still be explained by vanity and the desire to capture the beautiful moments of their lives, then why are there many selfies for ordinary people taking pictures against the backdrop of a carpet or a cat? Scientists argue that the main driving force in this case is such factors as the desire to be competitive socially, attracting attention to one’s modest self, increasing self-esteem through likes and the desire to fit in with the society that shines with luxury life on social networks. Many people use selfies as a tool for self-expression, forgetting that self-expression is more than just a photo of a complex facial expression with corny quotes underneath.
In addition, let’s not forget that today there are a huge number of applications that allow you to remove skin defects from photos, apply makeup, change the proportions of the face and body, and apply a beautiful filter. With their help, you can transform even a very ugly person to the maximum, therefore, the selfie will receive more likes, therefore, self-esteem will be stroked again. Is it good or bad? There’s nothing wrong with that, the main thing is not to fill up your account with mountains of the same type of selfie with a poker face. And, of course, do not write hackneyed philosophical thoughts under them, which cause nothing but facepalms from people with intact intellect.
What does selfie mania lead to?
What are the dangers of taking selfies?
The obvious consequences of selfie addiction are unstable self-esteem and a tendency towards narcissism, as well as irrational use of time spent on creating and posting photos.
In addition, selfie mania can encourage risky behavior. In pursuit of a successful shot, teenagers and adults forget about reality and do not think about the possible consequences.
Being carried away by photographing oneself, a person may not notice warning signs or climb to a height where any awkward movement is a potential risk of injury. So, many get broken arms and legs.
Sometimes the desire to get a unique shot can even lead to death. In America, such a case happened with a 22-year-old guy named Meng, who wanted to take a photo with a box of fireworks on his head.
In Russia, accidents have now also begun to occur due to selfie addiction.
Extreme selfie is the most dangerous manifestation of the disease
There are already dozens of poses for photographing yourself in society, and now they have a name. The selfie disease continues to spread in society, despite scientists’ statements about the danger and television programs on this topic. Here are the trendiest selfie poses of 2020:
- Photo in the elevator. A favorite selfie option for many celebrities, including politicians. One of the most popular was the photo of Dmitry Medvedev in the elevator of the House of Management of the Russian Federation. This shot received about two hundred thousand ratings on Instagram.
- Duck lips. The most common selfie among females. A photo of yourself with your lips in a bow is probably the leader in selfies right now.
- Groofy is a group photo that is rapidly gaining popularity among young people. One of the most popular is the American Groofie at the Oscars. Especially for such pictures, Chinese manufacturers have increased the capabilities of mobile phone and tablet cameras.
- Fitness selfie. The photo was taken using a mirror in the gym. A very popular selfie among both girls and men. Justin Bieber's fitness selfie with his slim physique and sweet smile is at the peak of his fame.
- Relfi. A self-photo with your significant other: very touching, but intrusive and boastful, causing negativity among the majority. But there are exceptions, for example, Angelina Jolie’s selfie with Brad Pitt.
- Photo in the toilet. It’s very common - literally every second girl has such a photo in her arsenal. And celebrities also take pictures of themselves in the toilet.
- Belphie. Self-portrait with protruding buttocks. Naturally, only girls do such nonsense. But men rate this type of selfie highly.
- Felfi. Self-portraits with animals.
- Photo of feet. It is not uncommon to see photos of the lower legs predominantly in shoes.
- Self-portrait in the bathroom.
- Extreme selfie. It is this look that is alarming. A program about the selfie disease was released on television, in which the most popular extreme selfie enthusiasts were interviewed. This type of self-image is taken at a time of danger and risk to human life, for example, when at a height, with aggressive animals, during a disaster, in space, in flight, etc.
- Emotional dependence on a person and how to get rid of it
How to cure selfie addiction?
How to get rid of selfie addiction
If you discover all the signs of the described disease in yourself or someone you know, we recommend immediately contacting a psychologist. A qualified specialist will help you understand the reasons for its occurrence and give recommendations that will help you change your attitude towards selfies and forget about obsessive thoughts. In especially severe cases, drug therapy may be prescribed.
However, if you wish, you can try to overcome the developing addiction on your own. To this end, psychologists recommend taking the following actions.
- Get a notepad and pen or keep notes on your smartphone in which to write down your feelings and thoughts, especially in those moments when the desire to take a selfie arises.
- Make it a habit to plan your time - make a daily schedule and a to-do plan. It is important to limit the possibility of photographing by setting a time limit and a fixed number of frames.
- As an alternative to virtual communication, you should try to find hobbies and like-minded people in real life. This could be dancing, creative or sports activities, meeting with friends, classmates, and so on.
If your real life is rich and interesting enough, there will be no room for selfie addiction. The main thing is to actively spend your time so that you simply don’t have time to pick up a smartphone.
Reviews from doctors
Of course, medicine believes that selfie addiction still exists. Although this is a relatively new phenomenon, it is already causing great concern among doctors and psychologists.
On the face of it, you can’t find fault with this – people simply film and publish their lives. But often this harmless activity develops into an addiction. The user films and publishes more and more and can no longer stop. Moreover, each time the pictures become more interesting and incredible. Sometimes even shocking.
Dangerous selfies are exactly what attracts most addicts. They want to “show off” and are sometimes ready to make rash decisions that are dangerous to life and health. At this moment, the brain literally turns off - there is only them and the camera. And nothing else.
Only the addicts themselves are trying, as you may have already noticed, to refute the fact that they have this disease. To be honest, teenagers and people with impaired self-esteem (high or low) are usually susceptible to such addiction. In addition, selfies become a real salvation, and then a huge problem for closed and insecure people. In other words, if a person has mental disorders (even minor and harmless ones), then there is a possibility of developing a very serious addiction.
Attention parents
Parents who want to reduce the pressure of social media on their child should start by examining their own social media use. Make sure you don't talk too much about the photos you post or see. Or maybe you yourself ask your children to constantly take pictures of you on walks or on vacation? Of course, casual photography is good, but don’t get too carried away with the process. Dr. Hamlet advises: “If you're taking your child to a concert, don't let them film and look at everything through the camera lens. Show him that you can have a good time without constantly recording moments.”
Dr. Hamlet also recommends that parents encourage teens to be more mindful of their technology use: “Before you pick up your device, understand why you're picking it up. What is your emotional state? Are you worried? Constantly checking your feed for updates will further increase your anxiety. The same will happen with sadness. It will only get worse."
Try making a plan of what you are going to do on Instagram or Facebook. Set the time you will spend on social media and stick to the plan. As you scroll through your feed, notice what feelings arise in you. Be prepared to stop watching as soon as you feel worsening or unwanted emotions appear.
Safety precautions
One dangerous phenomenon is now very common among teenagers and young people. It's called the "deadly selfie." This process, to be honest, is really dangerous. Its purpose is for the user to take a photo of himself in dangerous conditions. For example, hanging on the edge of a roof.
The police in Russia, together with some doctors, have already developed the so-called Selfie Safety Technique. It specifies the rules of behavior when capturing yourself on camera. Plus, modern schools offer lessons on this topic. There, schoolchildren will be taught how to take selfies.
In fact, in some regions this phenomenon has already been observed for some time. Frankly, it encourages children to develop a selfie addiction. However, if you contact a specialist in time, you can get rid of it. The main thing is to stay alive and healthy after the next photo.
What's the result? It's all about the right context.
So, are selfies good or bad? It all depends on how (and how often) we make them public. The golden mean can be found in the commentary of another psychologist:
“It all depends on how you use them. If it's a way for you to capture a moment where you feel good, and you're just capturing those moments for memory, that's fine."
Pay attention to this phrase.
It can be directly attributed to business. It all depends on the correct presentation of your photo. Selfies are a great positioning tool. If you take a photo in an interesting place, at a training event, or any other event that exposes the audience to the side you want, that's great. Save your subscribers from viewing meaningless, same-type photos with a mirror in the bathroom. Such selfies only harm your business.
The Science of Photographing Faces: Why We Love Looking at Other People?
We always notice faces first.
Remember, in this article I already wrote about visual perception and the role that faces play in it.
Most of us pay more attention to faces than to anything else. It has long been established experimentally that people react to faces differently than to other categories of objects.
Social networks are no exception. According to research:
- An avatar is the first thing your eye falls on on VKontakte and Facebook.
- Instagram pictures with people's faces receive 38% more likes and 32% more comments than those without faces.
Faces can guide our views
Faces don't just attract us, they can motivate us to action. Online, we follow the eyes of the people we see on the screen.
Looking directly at the camera can help you connect with someone. If the gaze is directed to the left or to the right, the reader will also direct his gaze in that direction.
As psychologists explain it:
“People have a natural tendency to follow the gaze of others. This is why we learn from birth to follow the arrows that tell us where to look or go.”
How to take a selfie so that it helps promote your business
We know that visual content is very important on social networks. We already know that we like to take pictures and look at other people's photos. Consequently, facial photos and selfies can feature prominently in large-scale marketing campaigns, not to mention positioning you as an expert.
Various big brands are harnessing the power of selfies in a variety of different ways, from attracting user-generated content to creating interactive apps—and everything in between.
Check out 4 great examples of selfies in marketing. Perhaps they can give you ideas for your own marketing campaign.
Hotel 1888: a space that invites selfies
At the 1888 Hotel in Sydney, selfies are not only welcome - they're highly encouraged. The hotel's website is full of Instagram shots, and the hotel itself offers a photo tour of it and the nearby harbour.
Try this: If you have a physical space and/or an item/product that people would like to take photos with, tap into our natural penchant for selfies by creating a photo booth or dedicated space for selfies, or simply hang a sign inviting users to take a photo. Try to inform users about what tags to tag these photos, and then you can collect them for your website or for presentation on social networks.
Dove: growth through user-generated content
Dove is well known for their marketing campaigns. They even made a short film about selfies. On Twitter, the company recently launched the #loveyourcurls tag, encouraging users to share content. Lots of women are responding and posting beautiful selfies showing off their hairstyles.
Try it: messages that speak to the user and help them with a positive self-image can be a good and at the same time natural way to promote a brand. You can use the Dove way of giving users clear instructions and concrete examples so they can quickly respond to your call. Another great idea is photo contests on social media.
#museumselfieday: unity around a common cause
About two years ago, museum visitors began posting fun, beautiful, and educational selfies en masse with the tag #museumselfieday as part of a Twitter campaign to showcase world cultural heritage.
Try it: Nonprofits and ideological causes can find a lot of benefit in the idea of rallying around a common theme or hashtag. A similar example: “Uniqlo's selfless selfie campaign,” with the tag #nomakeupselfie.
Ray-Ban: its own selfie app
Ray-Ban have taken selfie marketing to the next level with their iPhone app called Reflections. It allows users to turn on their smartphone's rear and front cameras simultaneously to create interesting double exposure shots if desired.
Give it a try: Creating apps as a marketing ploy requires some skill, making this the most challenging example given here. Large brands with appropriate budgets could give it a try, guided by a high level of vision for the company's purpose.
