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"Selfie" is defined as a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically taken with a smartphone or webcam and shared via social media.

Opinions surrounding selfies have always been divided. Some believe that taking selfies can be harmful as it could promote narcissism, unrealistic physical expectations, and eventual comparisons. Others believe that selfies can empower, as we are able to freely express ourselves.

Here are some of the benefits and detriments of our generation's relationship with selfies, and in turn, social media:

1. Selfies help to capture memorable moments.

Most selfies are taken to remember experiences, showcase our travels, recording special moments or people. I find myself taking selfies during solo travels. I feel more comfortable in pulling funny faces on my own, instead of when someone else is taking photos of me. Group selfies are not as "posed" compared to stand-alone photos, as they help capture the essence of the present emotion and the feeling of being around people you are comfortable with.

2. Selfies are emotionally engaging and personal.

As humans, we have our social needs. We are hardwired to crave human connection. With the rise of the use of social media, selfies can be used in a different light, where we can pair our photos with encouraging captions. Whether we are supporting a cause, documenting our recovery journey, or being confident enough to own our body - selfies allow us to freely express what we feel.

3. However, selfies may also harm one's self-esteem.

One of the main differences between us in real life versus online is the greater ability to change our look, and mask our identity. We have more control over social media: we can untag or delete unflattering photos of us, or pick how we want ourselves to be portrayed. With ever-developing technology, we have greater access to tools that allow us to shape who we are and highlight specific features in ways we could not do as easily offline. Examples of these are applications such as Facetune or Photoshop, which allows users to edit their photos into their ideal selves.

The Boston University School of Medicine's dermatology department reported that people go to plastic surgeons requesting "fuller lips, bigger eyes, or a thinner nose" that they see in photo filters. The "Snapchat dysmorphia" trend is a clear after-effect of comparisons on social media.

We also have the "keyboard warriors". With the ability to be anonymous online, people seem to have more pluck in harshly criticising or shaming someone. Hence, our young people become more exposed to self-esteem issues.

Social media has also introduced ' the fear of missing out '. This keeps young people attached to their phones admiring others rather than being fully present in their real lives. Many may feel as though their accomplishments, social lives, fun moments and physical appearance have lesser merit if they are not accounted for on social media.

4. Selfies make us question ourselves.

Peggy Phelan, a Stanford University professor who's written about photography and feminist issues commented, "Women who use themselves or their own self-image are often dismissed as narcissistic. It's a way of censoring, particularly, women and young people." By posting photos of ourselves constantly, the belief that it can become addicting is understandable. It is no denying that this may cause reliance on gratification and likes.

On the other hand, Phelan has also shared that selfie-taking can prompt important questions: What is the self? Who is the self? And how many versions of the self are there? And is the self only a persona? "These kinds of questions are the essential, deep questions," she says. "And many people use the selfie as a means of exploring those."

The next time you take a selfie, think about what it personally means to you and if it shows who you really are. Also, have fun! It's not just about how chiselled your jawline would look, if you got the right angle, or if there's a blemish on your face. Let your authenticity be louder than their façade!

Author(s)

Blogger, Post-Graduate Student

Lily Low studies Law by day, an aspiring Writer 24/7. She strongly advocates for Mental Health Awareness. Her main goal is to encourage and inspire through her writings. Other than having a passion for people and good music, you may find her occasionally with her nose in a novel. Find her musings or researched opinions also on: Revolutionaries Press, Crunch by Nuffnang, Thought Catalog, Medium, and Young Minds UK.

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The Good and the Bad behind "Selfie" Culture - Thrive Global

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In light of World Mental Health Day, a different aspect I'd like to explore are the ways I believe selfies have impacted our mental health  -  both positively and negatively.

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There are many reasons why people post selfies online. Sometimes it is to show off a new outfit or look. Other times it is to convey an emotional state. And, sometimes, it is to attract the attention of another person or group of people.

But what are the psychological consequences of posting selfies online? Do they make us happier and more confident about our appearance? Or, do they have the reverse effect - undermining body satisfaction and self-esteem?

Research published in the Journal of Health Psychology examined these questions in a sample of Chinese women. Interestingly, the researchers found that posting selfies were significantly and positively related to self-esteem.

"Taking and posting selfies on social networking sites are very prevalent among young people," state the researchers, led by Yuhui Wang of Renmin University of China. "However, research that investigates the psychological consequences of selfie-posting is scant. [...] We found that selfie-posting was positively related to women's self-esteem."

To arrive at this conclusion, the researchers recruited 450 female college students from a university in China to take part in a short survey. Participants were asked to report how often they posted selfies online and how many likes and positive comments they typically received from their posts. The researchers also asked participants to complete measures of body satisfaction-for example, indicating their agreement with statements such as "I am satisfied with my body" and "I feel connected with my body"-and self-esteem.

Using this information, the researchers tested whether participants who posted more selfies tended to have higher self-esteem. They found that the posters did. They also reported that positive feedback, in the form of likes and comments, and body satisfaction were, not surprisingly, positively related to self-esteem as well.

Next, the researchers explored the process by which posting selfies might increase one's self-esteem. Using a statistical technique known as a mediation model, they found evidence to suggest that posting selfies encourages positive social media feedback, which improves body image and increases self-esteem. The researchers state, "Our finding indicates that women who post selfies usually receive positive feedback, which in turn is beneficial to their self-esteem."

While this study can't rule out the possibility that people with higher body satisfaction and self-esteem tend to post more selfies online in the first place, the key insight from Wang's work is an important one: The positive feedback generated from posting selfies can act to improve body image and self-esteem.

The authors conclude, "When women post selfies which usually contain positive body-related information due to selective self-presentation, they have pride in their own body and positively evaluate themselves, which in turn enhances their self-esteem."
Facebook image: AlessandroBiascioli/Shutterstock

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Selfies and Self-Esteem: How Are They Related?

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There are many reasons why people post selfies online. Sometimes it is to show off a new outfit or look. Other times it is to convey an emotional state. And, sometimes, it is to attract the attention of another person or group of people. But what are the psychological consequences of posting selfies online?

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In case you've ever wondered how much time your daughter spends taking selfies, a poll in 2015 found that the average woman between 16 and 25 years old spends over five hours a week. It sounds like a lot unless you've tried to take selfies yourself and know what an elaborate process it can be. Women take an average of seven shots to get one image, according to the poll; Kim Kardashian said it takes about 15 to 20. Then there are the filters, not to mention real-life alterations like changing lighting or touching up makeup. There are also apps you can use for more drastic procedures like changing your bone structure, slimming your waistline, erasing pimples, and more.

Selfies can be silly and lighthearted, of course, notes Alexandra Hamlet, PsyD, a psychologist at the Child Mind Institute. But she also recognizes the darker side, when photos become a measure of self-worth. "With makeup, with retouch, with filters, with multiple, multiple attempts, it's almost like you're never going to stack up," says Dr. Hamlet, "And that is where I think it gets dangerous."

We're used to worrying about how girls will be affected by seeing too many air-brushed images of models in magazines or movies. But now young people themselves are the models and they're wielding their own image-editing software. This leads to a lot of self-scrutiny as they try to perfect their own images, and comparisons to the pictures their peers are posting. Experts are understandably worried about what this means for kids' self-esteem.

Seeking perfection

If you've been telling your daughter that she's beautiful just the way she is, she's getting a different message when she opens up Snapchat and sees filters and lenses that alter appearances. Pictures used to be final; now we have post-production.

Dr. Hamlet acknowledges that some of the filters are fun and distort in amusing ways, but also points out there's a so-called "pretty filter" on Instagram and Snapchat. Beautifying filters are used almost reflexively by many, which means that girls are getting used to seeing their peers effectively airbrushed every single day online. There are also image altering apps that teens can download for more substantial changes. Facetune is one popular one, but there are many, and they can be used to do everything from erase pimples to change the structure of your face or make you look taller. One app called RetouchMe gives your photo a "professional retouch" using a photo editing team for under a dollar.

The possibilities can be overwhelming, particularly since girls know they are scrutinized on their appearance - as, of course, they are scrutinizing their peers.

Too much comparison

Self-esteem often takes a hit when you start comparing yourself too much to other people, which is something social media seems to be made for. One study found that frequently viewing selfies led to decreased self-esteem and decreased life satisfaction. Another study found that girls who spend more time looking at pictures on Facebook reported higher weight dissatisfaction and self-objectification.

In her book Enough As She Is, Rachel Simmons writes about pressures facing girls, including comparing themselves to peers on social media and feeling that they were coming up short. One 18-year-old girl told her, "I don't hate myself when I'm alone. I just hate myself in comparison to other people."

Thanks to social media, that time alone in your head that most adults grew up with has been eroded. Any spare moment she has, a young woman now might easily open up Instagram or Snapchat, which means that she starts playing the comparison game.

Even if the pictures a girl posts on social media get plenty of likes, she might still feel insecure - especially if she's an adolescent who is already feeling insecure and trying to make herself feel better, Dr. Hamlet notes. That's because humans tend to be very "mood consistent," she says. "It can feel icky to do something on the outside that is inconsistent with how we feel on the inside." That's why if you're feeling sad, you might be more likely to want to listen to sad music instead of watch a comedy. And in the same way, if you are feeling judgmental and negative about yourself, it generally takes more than a good selfie to pull yourself out of that trap.

Mental health consequences

While social media might not be causing a mental health disorder, it can pull some kids closer into a diagnosable range if they are already struggling. "If you're depressed or anxious, you're probably going to be comparing yourself to others more, or devaluing yourself more," explains Dr. Hamlet. "Maybe you'll be striving even harder to try and 'catch up,' which is basically an impossible feat."

The problem of selfies has even attracted the attention of various professional journals for plastic surgeons, which have been posting articles about increasing requests for plastic surgery coming from young people. A poll from the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons found that 42% of surgeons were asked to perform procedures for improved selfies and pictures on social media platforms. The journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery published an article called " When Is Teenage Plastic Surgery Versus Cosmetic Surgery Okay? " exploring the safety and ethical considerations of performing different procedures and providing "cosmetic medication" like Botox and fillers to adolescent clients.

There is even a term for kids who are fixating on their appearance because of social media - selfie dysmorphia, which is also sometimes called Snapchat dysmorphia. While this isn't a real diagnosis, it is a term that recognizes that more people are experiencing a dysmorphia, or idea that there is something fundamentally flawed in their appearance.

It also gestures to a diagnosis that is real: body dysmorphic disorder, which is a mental health disorder related to OCD. People with body dysmorphic disorder are obsessed with what they perceive to be a disfiguring flaw, like a large nose or ears, a blemish on the skin, or underdeveloped muscles. These flaws might be imagined or very minor and blown out of proportion.

While most children won't develop body dysmorphic disorder, or even so-called selfie dysmorphia, they can still exist somewhere on the spectrum of fixating on their appearance, just as they might be struggling with anxiety and depression, whether or not they are at a clinical level.

Being more mindful about social media

Parents who want to provide a healthy counterbalance to the pressures of social media can start by evaluating how they use social media themselves. Make sure you aren't talking too much about the pictures you post or see, or ask your children to take too many pictures. The occasional photo is fine, of course, but make a point of prioritizing being in the moment, too. "If you're taking your kid to a concert, don't allow them to film the whole thing and see it only through the eyes of the camera," says Dr. Hamlet. "That's reinforcing this concept that just being here is not good enough."

Dr. Hamlet also recommends that parents encourage teens to become more mindful about how they use their phones - and model doing this, too. "Before you pick up your device, understand why you're picking it up. What emotional state are you in? Are you anxious? Picking up that phone to check to see what's on social media is probably going to heighten that anxiety. The same with sadness. It's just going to make it worse."

Try having a plan for what you're going to do on Instagram or Snapchat. This might include how long you'll be using it and what you want to see. And while you are using social media, observe how it makes you feel, and be ready to put it down if it starts making you feel bad.

Building self-esteem

Prioritizing a girl's appearance is nothing new in society, but with selfies girls are getting inundated with the feedback that how they look is important. That's why it is up to parents to make sure girls are getting the message that what women think and do is even more important. Don't hold back from complimenting your daughter on her appearance, but make an effort to compliment her at least as much for the things she does and how hard she works.

While it is good for anyone's self-esteem to like the way they look, it is crucial to have many sources of self-esteem. For a young woman's long-term happiness, it will be more deeply rewarding for her to find things that she cares about and practice doing them. Dr. Hamlet calls this "developing mastery and accumulating positives in your life."

Having a personal interest in something and seeing how your skills grow with time and effort makes you feel proud of what you can do, and takes the focus away from achieving perfection, which is impossible. It also encourages girls to look inside themselves for their self-esteem (and not just to compliments from others) which is an important part of growing into a happy, confident woman.

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What Selfies Are Doing to Girls' Self-Esteem

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In case you've ever wondered how much time your daughter spends taking selfies, a poll in 2015 found that the average woman between 16 and 25 years old spends over five hours a week. It sounds like a lot unless you've tried to take selfies yourself and know what an elaborate process it can be.

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he numbers alone tell a powerful story of self-obsessions. More than 80m photographs uploaded to Instagram every day, more than 3.5bn 'likes' every day, and some 1.4bn people - 20% of the world's population - publishing details of their lives on Facebook.

Is social media turning a relatively modest species into a pack of publicity-hungry narcissists? Or were we already inherently self-absorbed?

In the US, diagnoses of narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) have risen sharply over the past 10 years: the rate of increase is comparable to the rise in the rate of obesity.

Numerous studies claim to have made direct links between the increase in NPD and the ubiquity of social media. Behaviours such as attempting to attract more followers, wanting to tell followers about your life, and the need to project a positive image at all times have been described by researchers as examples of exhibiting narcissistic personality traits on social media. A direct link has also been found between the number of Facebook friends a person has and the prevalence of socially disruptive traits commonly associated with narcissism.

But psychologist Ciarán Mc Mahon, director at the Institute of Cyber Security, believes the link between narcissism and social media use is not so clear-cut.

"Academics argue over the data and how it's measured. On balance, there is an increase in narcissism, and there has been an increase in social media use. But it's not completely clear if there is a correlation," says Mc Mahon.

"It could be that there's a wider cultural increase in narcissism in the west that's then reflected back in social media. For social media to have become so popular there has to have been pre-existing narcissism."

Lucy Clyde, a counsellor and psychotherapist, believes that everyone has narcissistic tendencies and that we're simply more aware of these traits because of the prevalence of social media.

"In terms of personality disorder, I wouldn't imagine social media is the cause but an expression. If you're a narcissist, you're looking for a positive reflection of yourself, the world is your mirror and you're constantly looking for affirmation. For this reason, you're probably curating your own life very heavily on social media," says Clyde.

I sometimes spend hours thinking about what to post

Jack Price, 34, has amassed more than 60,000 followers from around the world on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter over the past 10 years. He checks his social media accounts tens of times a day and says he is obsessed with maintaining his online profile. He does not describe himself as a narcissist but as someone using available technology to further his career and keep up with expectations.

"I sometimes spend hours thinking about what to post, thinking about what my followers want, but also what I want them to think about me. But I see it as time well invested: it's made me successful, well known, and it's made me money," says Price, whose name has been changed.

"I'll often see moments as 'good content' for my social media followers. It's almost like the photographing and sharing of a cool time is more important than actually appreciating it in real life."

NPD gained prominence in the 1960s and official criteria for diagnosis were created in 1980. Characteristics of NPD include a deep need for admiration, an inflated sense of one's own importance, and a lack of empathy for others. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, other diagnostic criteria of narcissistic personality disorder include dreaming of unlimited success; craving attention from other people, but showing few warm feelings in return; and choosing friends based on their prestige and status rather than personal qualities. As an observer, it's easy to draw parallels between the way people behave on social media and narcissistic traits.

Millennials are particularly vulnerable to the potentially negative effects of social media. Young people aged 17-21 go through a necessary narcissistic stage as they seek to find their place in society and move away from their caregivers. Their experiences of this developmental phase can be unhealthily magnified by social media.

"This age group is heavily influenced by their peers. What is crucially important is how other people see you and a huge focus of your life is geared to creating a positive impression of yourself," says Clyde. "Like taking huge care to get the perfect selfie as this stuff stays online forever. That's a pretty unique pressure and it has to create a painfully pressured state of mind. This has the potential to amplify pre-existing narcism. And to some extent we all have narcissistic traits."

There is a body of research that suggests social media is good for our self-esteem. Mc Mahon believes that it allows people to test different identities and find a comfortable place in society, but he agrees that social media adds a layer of pressure to an already complicated time and can encourage people to overshare.

"If you have a boring profile, you will get no likes. But if you post something revealing about yourself, or something provocative, then you get more likes. People with 5,000 followers are constantly thinking about what they're going to post next to get a reaction," he says.

William Roberts, from Buckinghamshire, is a frequent social media user and acutely aware of its narrow view of reality. The 19-year-old sees social media as a place for people to show off and he actively manages his use to protect himself from negative influences.

"The only purpose of Instagram is to promote the highlights of your life, and often people will focus on parties, holidays, times with friends. My own posts rarely reflect my feelings when I am sad, depressed or lonely and entirely reflect the positive side of my life," says Roberts.

According to Clyde, it's virtually impossible to showcase all aspects of your personality on social media, which is an issue.

"We are trying to sanitise the messiness of human experience. Modern life is hard. If we deny our own messiness, we can't really connect with other people and their own messiness. And that is really lonely and isolating," she says.

"We've broken ourselves into bite-sized chunks. We are infinitely more complex than a selfie or 140 characters. If we believe that's who we are, it becomes impossible to tolerate the complexity of ourselves and other people. It's a huge struggle to be authentic warts and all, and social media isn't helping," says Clyde.

It may be difficult to say concretely that narcissism among millennials is directly linked to social media. But it does seem that social media encourages and panders to pre-existing narcissism.

"It's not our outward behaviour that we need to concentrate on, we need to look inward" says McMahon, "people are using external validation on social media for a reason. We need to examine what is missing at the heart of people."

Illustration: janne iivonen

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