Selfie – Obsessive Behaviour

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“Self-image is important, and not always in a narcissistic way. It's how we define ourselves, and present for others to see. We rely on others' perceptions, judgments and appraisals to develop our social self.”

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The importance of self-image is not a new concept. It has always existed. Hundreds of years ago, people sat for hours.

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50 years ago, Polaroid’s were invented. After taking a photo, you waited a few minutes to see the results.

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Today, it is easier than ever to take photos of yourself.

Selfie sticks are selling out all over the world to help people #selfie

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“The first smartphone with a forward-facing camera was the watershed moment. You only need this second, forward-facing camera if you want to take pictures of yourself. Could there be any more conclusive indication of the ubiquity of the self-portrait or "selfie"?”

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And you are instantly gratified because the results are visible instantly. And if you aren’t satisfied? You can delete it and take another.

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And then you can immediately share it with others. Across the world!

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Images can be shared with thousands of other people. Its immediacy - Look where I am! Look what I'm doing! Look at what I look like! - is exciting. To some.

And others can validate your personal image, or your new haircut, or how you look (etc). It feels good.

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“Social media is so perfectly designed to manipulate our desire for approval”

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“a 22-year-old Instagram user from Lincoln, believes they elicit a feel-good factor. ‘It's always nice to document a good hair day, or an outfit you love. And generally, especially with Instagram, there's a real feel-good attitude towards selfies, and as vain as it may be, you know that if you're not feeling great, there's someone who will 'like' your photo and tell you you're pretty.’”

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“A search on photo sharing app Instagram retrieves over 23 million photos uploaded with the hashtag #selfie, and a whopping 51 million with the hashtag #me.”

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The selfie is one of the most popular ways to post — and garner the most likes from followers

Narcissism.

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Selfie-ism is everywhere. The word "selfie" has been bandied about so much in the past six months it's currently being monitored for inclusion in the Oxford Dictionary Online.

Psychologists say taking selfies can turn into an addiction

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References

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• Erickson, Christine. “The Social Psychology of the Selfie”. Mashable. 15 February 2013. Web. 11 June 2015. • “Self-portraits and Social Media: The Rise of the ‘Selfie’”. BBC News Magazine. 7 June 2013. Web. 11 June 2015. • “History of Polaroid.” Polaroid. PLR Ecommerce. n. d. Web. 11 June 2015. • Ronson, Jon. “How One Stupid Tweet Blew Up Justine Sacco’s Life.” The New York Times Magazine. 12 February 2015. Web. 11 June 2015. • Peterson, Hayley. “Selfie Sticks Are Selling Out Everywhere.” Business Insider. 31 December 2014. • Franco, James, “The Meanings of the Selfie.” The New York Times. 26 December 2013. • “’Selfie Addiction’ Is No Laughing Matter, Psychiatrists Say.” The Huffington Post. 25 March 2014. • Kilner, James. “The science behind why we take selfies.” BBC News. 17 January 2014. • Boyd, Danah. “Why Snapchat is Valuable: It’s All About Attention.” LinkedIn. 21 March 2014.