The Danger of Too Many Selfies

Rebecca Lewis September 19, 2013

Whilst waiting for the barista to serve your coffee, you take a nice photo of yourself through a high angle. Yeah – you look pretty and ‘sexy’ on that pose. So without a second thought, you uploaded your picture on Facebook and Instagram. In just three minutes, you’ve got more than 50 ‘likes’ (and counting). Certainly, it feels good.

We all know what ‘selfies’ are. They are self portraits that you take of yourself with, most likely using you camera phone. Selfies are very popular among younger people, especially teens and young adults. The arrival of new technologies, like the ‘camera 360’ and other mobile applications make selfie-ing easy, quick and really fun. And no matter how much annoying selfies are at times, the social media is not social media without ‘selfies’.

The Selfie- Narcissism Connection

But a growing body of research suggests that too much of these ‘selfies’ could be taking a toll on our relationships. Just this year, a study by British researchers found that over-sharing of such photos may bring harm to an individual’s real-world relationships. In this study, 508 volunteers evaluated various types of photographs – animals, friends, events, families, objects and animals, and were later asked about their reactions. Such reactions were then measured on a scale of ‘support’ and ‘intimacy’. According to the researchers, increased frequency of sharing of selfies often resorts to a reduction in intimacy.

Many experts agree that selfies are not just visual representations of people, but also a manifestation of the society’s obsession with looks and narcissistic embrace. Excessive narcissism, according to studies, can have adverse effects on personal relationships, parenting, and the workplace.

In the UK study, researchers found that excessive photo sharing, as well as posting of selfies, make people ‘less likeable’. Why is this so? One possible reason is that selfies make other people feel conscious about theirs in that person’s presence. Being pressured to be ‘camera-ready’ all the time, for some people, could increase self-esteem issues and feelings of competition among friends.

Think twice, post once

Many people take hundreds of selfies in just one sitting (using the same clothes and having the same background). No matter how good these photos are, for many people looking at them online, these selfies can be annoying. Excessive selfie-ing is like looking at yourself in the mirror all day long, and letting people see how you do it. Selfies are most often too focused on the looks, and not the purpose by which the picture was taken for.

Furthermore, some people are too focused on taking selfies, and editing and posting them online. They do it even whilst having a family dinner, talking with a friend, attending a meeting, or while on their way to work. All these make people lose awareness of the present. And even though it is ‘fun’, selfie-ing often contributes to stress and other emotional problems.

Selfie-ing to empower

Despite the potential harm it brings, it doesn’t mean that selfie-ing is a bad thing. Uploading photos of ourselves online can boost our confidence and self-esteem in some ways, especially when we see many ‘likes’ and positive ‘comments’. However, it is also important that we think about why we are taking them, and what these selfies do to us. Uploading empowering selfies for instance, can inspire others and change how the society defines ‘beauty’.