Selfies have become a world wide action and is probably now a verb in the dictionary as used by people all over the world. Selfie sticks and other objects have made it easier and more convenient to get a perfect picture of yourself taken and posted on Instagram in no time. Camera companies, phone users, and editing apps are realizing the importance of a selfie to people and are adjusting their own products to take the perfect selfie. What’s really behind a selfie?
Formal definition:
“sel·fie /ˈselfē/ (noun)- a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website. (oxforddictionaries.com)”
One study wanted to show girls all over the world the true meaning of a selfie and what can be seen just behind their own pictures. The Residential College in the Arts and Humanities came up with a workshop that united girls in grades 7-12 and they were invited to learn about self-esteem through selfies and even how celebrities did so. The second part was to showcase their work and their ideas of self-esteem through selfies as a way to advocate for beauty for everyone. The workshop was planned to demonstrate that each person has their own individual selfie. This workshop was made to demonstrate the power of a selfie and the correlation between a selfie and feeling beautiful (confidence boost).
In another more analytical post performed in Ohio State University, researchers asked eight hundred men to answer a survey that covered how many selfies/regular pictures were posted on social media and then what their social behavioral actions seemed to be. The men group ranged from the age of 18 to 40. Those who edited their pictures the most were concluded to be the most narcissistic and a correlation between selfies and narcissism/psychopathy were found. Psychopathy, according to Jesse Fox, the study’s lead author, wasn’t a correlation to editing pictures and posting them because psychopathy is usually correlated to impulsivity. “They are going to snap the photos and put them online right away. They want to see themselves. They don’t want to spend time editing.” Fox does make it clear within his post that this doesn’t mean that all people are narcissistic or psychotic but there is a correlation there.
Fox basically concludes that the speculation is there but not enough to prove the correlation any further therefore proving that the results could be due to chance or a third confounding variable. Therefore proceeds to tell his audience that selfies are okay. This observational study didn’t look at women, children, young adults (who take selfies the most), or any other group making it unreliable. The first study was also more of an anecdote which doesn’t have any date meaning no conclusion could be made. Therefore leaving the topic in the air. Do you think selfies are bad??
SELFIE SONG HERE IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A DISTRACTION 🙂
This blog is so interesting because it is so prevalent in society today! Where ever you look, you can always find someone taking a selfie of themselves. Although I can admit I am apart of the problem, I always wonder why in our day in age we are so caught up in taking so many pictures. We take pictures for the sake of taking pictures rather than to capture a memory. Here is a link to an article describing why we need to put our cameras away! Nice blog!
I really enjoyed reading this blog because it digs deeper into the meaning behind the ‘superficial’ selfie. Let’s face it, we have all taken them. The Ohio State University study was really interesting because it does make sense that those who spend the time editing their selfies are more narcissistic. Thus, there is a correlation there. However, there is some reverse causation as those who take selfies can be narcissistic and those who are narcissistic take selfies. There are most likely some looming confounding variables with these conclusions. A study that is similar to the one you reviewed was conducted in which almost 1,200 men and women completed personality tests and answered questions about their daily routines. Those who claimed they took many selfies were found to have “the dark triad” of personalities in which consists of narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism (meaning they are manipulative). These tests are interesting to analyze, as they “determine” people’s personalities. This topic was great to look over and think about as it is a common occurrence in today’s society.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/beware-of-people-who-always-post-selfies-on-facebook-2015-07-16
I love how you mentioned the fact that posting a ton of selfies can be linked to psychological problems, such as narcissism and self-centeredness. I’m a girl, so I do enjoy the occasional selfie, but keyword on the “occasional.” I’m not one of those people who only post selfies to my Instagram, and take 20 hours out of my day to look good and pose for that one perfect picture. I prefer the typical group picture more than anything. If you read through this article it brings up similar points that you did about the self-centered aspect of it, but it goes even deeper, providing studies that show these girls who are constantly posting selfies actually have less friends in their life.