Apparently, selfie addiction is not as harmless as it may sound. In fact, the American Psychiatric Association has classified it is a disorder. A term ‘Selfitis’ has also been coined for this mental condition and psychologists have also warned that people who always feel tempted to post their pictures on social networking platforms may need help.
Since selfie addiction is a relatively new phenomenon, psychologists do not know a lot about their effects or the people who post them. Selfie addiction is also linked to bullying and low self-esteem and psychiatrists have also started deliberating whether selfies should be taken as a serious mental health issue.
According to some studies, spending long hours on social media and editing photos a lot is linked to self-objectification and narcissism. Posting a lot of selfies is related to psychopathy and higher narcissism. Apparently, narcissists spend more time editing their photos to look their best and they like to show off their selfies on social networking websites.
On the other hand, psychopathic tend to post more selfies, but do not edit them a lot. This might be because they lack self-control and do not want to filter what the upload online. Since editing pictures is suggestive of self-presentation, a psychopath wouldn’t do it.
Studies have also revealed that men who objectify their bodies are more likely to edit their pictures. Self-objectification is the opposite of narcissism and is correlated with low self-esteem. However, both low self-esteem and narcissism have been linked with the greater use of social media, particularly Facebook. Moreover, people who objectify themselves do not post a lot of selfies, they are just conscious about how they look in the ones they do post.
According to a study from SUNY University at Buffalo, individuals who assess their self-worth on the basis of the opinions of others are most likely to post selfies. Sometimes, people can be dissatisfied with their appearance but still continue to believe that appearance is the most important determinant of self-worth.
James Kilner, who is a University College London neuroscientist, said during a National Portrait Gallery panel discussion that people take and retake photos of them until they come up with an image that matches their perception of what they think they look like.
When people upload selfies, they are in charge of the image that they communicate to the world. It can be viewed as a conscious decision about self-representation. However, sometimes people are too quick to judge others who post selfies, even if they also upload their pictures. Women are said to be more critical of the selfies of other women than men.
Not everyone who posts selfies on social media platforms is a psychopath or narcissist. But if you or someone you know is addicted to selfies, it might be time to get help from a professional.
You can book an appointment with a top Psychologist in Multan, Karachi, and Islamabad through oladoc.com. You can also call our helpline at 042-3250-044 for assistance to find the RIGHT Doctor for your health concerns.
