Most people would agree that selfies are just a fun way to capture a moment or show their social media friends what's going on in their life. But, do some of us take things too far? The selfie "epidemic" is real - everyone and their grandmother has posted an image or two of themselves on social media. A legitimate question arises; are selfies really harmless?
The science behind why we take selfies
Human beings are social creatures. This means that we are inclined to share our thoughts, feelings, and attitudes with the world. Why do we do that? We're looking for feedback, validation, and acceptance and there is nothing wrong with that - this is hardwired into our brains and we have always looked for validation, in one way or another, selfies are just a vehicle.
What is the problem then? The problem is, obsessive selfie taking can lead to major body image issues. According to recent scientific research, conducted at the University of Strathclyde, spending time on social media, posting and looking at selfies is linked to negative feelings about body image. We tend to compare ourselves to others, but we often forget that we are looking at heavily edited, cropped out, filtered images - what we see on social media is not the reality. On the contrary, it can be considered fantasy, make belief - a whole other reality. A reality in which everyone is happy, good looking, content, well off, without a care in the world.
Digital Vertigo - Have things gone too far?
Andrew Keen is a famous journalist and author of "Digital Vertigo". He often writes about our fascination with social media. His thesis? We live in the age of “digital narcissism”. According to Mr. Keen, we live in a world where we are the only thing that’s sacred. We don’t care about anything or anyone else.
We are more self-obsessed and self-centered now than we have ever been. Are his views too nihilistic? Perhaps they are, but one can't help but wonder where will this selfie-social media craze take us?
To unplug from social media means to live "in the dark" and remain unaware of what's happening in the world around us. Social media has changed the way we live, conduct business and digest information.
But, it seems to have also changed how we see ourselves. Has it made us more vulnerable? Perhaps it has and that is why we need to use these platforms responsibly and with caution. Taking a break from them from time to time may not be such a bad idea either.
