The Selfie Epidemic

We've all done it. I defy anyone to tell me that they haven't taken a picture of themselves, now proclaimed a 'selfie' by instagram users and the likes of, in the near or distant past. Upon looking in the mirror, you discover that you surpass your expectations of how good, or bad, you thought you fared in the pretty department today; not to document such an event would be scandalous. So out comes the iPhone, the blackberry, in extreme cases, out comes the Canon DSLR, and *snap* *snap* *snap* - you've got your selfie. Whether you broadcast it on social media or not is your choice, but to the annoyance of many Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram users, the selfie is fast becoming the only way of communicating the way that a girl or boy appears. Tagged photos are out - from now on its all about the angles that your face or body looks best - firmly thrusting and pouting your best parts and shying the worst away from the camera. But why is the selfie becoming so popular, and, is it an epidemic?

I am a guilty party in this investigation. I love a selfie as much as the next person, and perhaps a lot more (Hell, I even used a selfie of ME to illustrate this article). To me, selfies are a way or reassuring myself that I look O.K today. And, as a result, much of my instagram is selfie orientated. It's something that I'm trying to work on. 75% of the people I questioned as research for this blog admitted that they believe that they selfie too much. Only 25% of those people said that they use selfies as a body image reassurance. I think the rest of those people were lying. Either that or we have some very self-assured iPhone users. The way I see it, taking pictures of yourself and documenting the way that you look is a direct reaction to the way that society is concentrating more heavily and closely on body image, particularly in the media and surrounding outlets. I might be wrong, perhaps selfies are a way of expressing your pride in the way you look, and believe me, I see absolutely nothing wrong with that. Pride in yourself is one of the hardest things to accept, particularly after a recent study showed that 90% of teenage girls were unhappy with the size and shape of their body. Surely, a good selfie with a good amount of feedback is the answer? Wrong.

The fact is that seeking positive recognition for the way that we look from other social networking users is a toxic way of self assurance, and mostly, results in the annoyance of other users. 60% of those I questioned said that they find that selfies appear too often on their newsfeed, and 100% of those people found it 'cringey' and 'frustrating'. What's more, 80% of those who answered my questions admitted that they think the selfie-ers (I created a new noun/subject - hope you like) appear vain as they post photos of themselves. Where does that leave us then? Is a selfie healthy (excuse the half-rhyme) or not?

I'd argue that a selfie, every once in a while, is healthy. 50% of those Facebook users that I questioned said that a rare selfie (categorised as one or two per month) demonstrates a confidence and happiness that does not border on the arrogant of self-obsessed. Any more than that, and the answers I got started getting a little blurry. Most expressed that the amount of selfies a person posts correlates with how lowly the users feels about his or her body image - the higher the selfie, the less confident the individual, searching for feedback in an attempt to boost confidence and personal morale. But, the fact is, that relying on other, particularly on social networking, which is, in no way a true reflection of society, in unhealthy, and could lead to a skewed view on society and/or high neurosis. Constantly looking for recognition on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, can begin to leak into real life, and soon, an individual can begin to rely on others to boost their self esteem. Imagine sitting in a bar, looking around, and believing that every person in that very bar is looking at you, and judging you. That's the result. And it is neither true, nor a particularly good way to live life.

I'm not saying that all selfie-ers (used it again) will, have, or are acting like this. This might be that I'm misconstruing a perfectly innocent act of posting a personal picture on social media. But it is something to think about, and the more and more selfies I see, the more I begin to ponder upon it. Are we dealing with an epidemic here? Perhaps. But the bigger question lies within society. Are we ever going to sit back and relax when it comes to our own, and even other people's body image? I hope so, because until we do, I can see those statistics getting a whole lot worse.

Love
Jessie x