Selfies and personality: a study claims that selfies tell you how you are

A curious research uncovers the link between our way of being and self-portraits.

It is not the first time we talk about selfies on our website, as this phenomenon is very fashionable. The technological changes of the last decades, the culture of the image and the spectacle in which we live immersed and the emergence of networks like facebook or instagram have allowed us to take selfies at any time and publish them in digital media as soon as possible. as soon as possible.

On television, in the newspapers or on the radio there are constant news about selfies, and several questions and answers have arisen about selfies. have arisen several questions and answers about the obsessive behavior of some people, often unfounded.often unfounded. And although this information is often not true, it is not surprising that there is an interest in psychology to learn more about this type of behavior.

In fact, a recent study claims that selfies say a lot about our personality, a recent study claims that selfies say a lot about our personality..

Is there a link between taking selfies and having a mental disorder?

First of all, it is necessary to clarify that the habit of taking selfies is not a mental disorder.Therefore, there is no scientific evidence to affirm it. However, there are certain emotional problems or psychological disorders that can be associated with the excessive use of selfies. For example, low self-esteem, body dysmorphic disorder, narcissism or perfectionist personality.

A narcissistic person may take a lot of selfies and post them on social networks in search of constant approval. We all know a friend who likes to constantly look in the mirror, and selfies are a quick way to get approval on social media and constantly expose his or her image. A narcissist may take the behavior of taking selfies to the extreme, to pathological limits.

It could also happen that a perfectionist or a person with body dysmorphic disorder takes many selfies and repeats them constantly because he/she does not look good in any of them. Perfectionists have an obsession to achieve perfection in everything they do, and people with body dysmorphic disorder are never happy with their physical appearance. This may cause them to spend hours taking pictures of themselves until they achieve that excellent, flawless image of themselves, even if it is unrealistic.even if it is unrealistic.

What is the reason for the selfie craze?

But as I have already said, taking selfies doesn't have to be a serious problem.This is just another phenomenon associated with new information technologies and image culture. Here both the progress of new technologies come together, for example the possibility of having a camera on the smartphone, the emergence of social networks and the possibility of being connected all day and aware of the lives of others. Also playing an important role are the values of this society, which rewards elements such as aesthetics or spectacle.

These changes that have taken place in recent decades have changed the way we relate to each other. a phenomenon that leads us to the need to relate and project a good image of ourselves through social networks. through social networks. That is why it is important that we know how to use this technology responsibly, because if we do not, we may be on the verge of having problems of obsession or communication with other people: real communication is in the street, in looking into the eyes of the interlocutor.

That said, we cannot deny that when someone has a deeper problem, for example a body image disorder, the excessive use of selfies and social networks may indicate that something is wrong with that person.

Selfitis does not exist: a lie that went viral

Selfitis, i.e. the pathological obsession with taking selfies, which some media claimed was recognized by the American Psychological Association (APA), does not really exist: it is an invented disorder, with no scientific basis. It was a lie that went viral on the internet, and the fact of taking selfies may mean absolutely nothing from a clinical point of view..

What happens is that selfies are posted on social networks, and the latter are important in the formation of the identity of the youngest. So you have to be careful how these behaviors affect adolescents, because this is a critical period in their development. Not taking this into account can have negative effects on their future psychological well-being. In extreme cases, selfies can be an indicator of emotional problems or body image disorders, for example, if people are constantly uploading images of themselves to facebook or if they are taking selfies non-stop all day long.

Parents and schools should be aware of the importance of educating their children in the correct use of social networks.

So it is important that parents (and also schools) take care to educate their children to use new technologies correctly, because otherwise Western culture can cause emotional or self-esteem problems.

But let's not dramatize either: that someone occasionally takes a selfie is not a bad thing, it is just another phenomenon.It is just another phenomenon that comes with the immersion we have all made in new technologies.

The best prevention is education

To prevent future emotional problems in young people and for them to develop a resilient personality that allows them to empower themselves in life and value themselves as they are without the need to be constantly showing a digital image that can be harmful to them, the key is education.

We have already talked about the disorders associated with new technologies in other occasions from Psychology and Mindfor example, in our articles on the FOMO Syndrome or Nomophobia. And we have already warned of the importance of re-educating the youngest in a society that turns us into objects and that can lead us to serious problems of self-esteem if we do not reconnect with ourselves. That is, if we do not become conscious and emotionally intelligent people again.

It is necessary to educate correctly in the use of new technologies, because they are an important part of the life of the youngest ones.. Through social networks, children and adolescents relate, compare and form their identity.

The 2.0 world transmits values

The 2.0 world can be a fictitious but very appealing world, and social networks are attractive because young people become protagonists.

Thanks to selfies, they can be a kind of "star" in their own little showbiz world. Therefore, it is important to know that, as socializing agents, social networks also transmit values.. It is necessary that parents and teachers make young people understand the positive and negative consequences of their use.

The contribution of psychology to the use of social networks

In cases where a person takes selfies compulsively and there is a real underlying disorder, psychology offers certain treatments, from psychology we propose certain treatments that can help the person to identify the problem and be able to solve it..

These cases are usually characterized by poor self-esteem, a deficit of social skills and a constant need for approval from others. Fortunately, psychologists can treat these cases and resolve them.

Personality and selfies: narcissistic and antisocial people make greater use of selfies.

Recent research have focused on finding a relationship between personality and selfies.It seems that certain personality types are more likely to take selfies, at least that is what a study conducted by Ohio State University (United States) states, which concludes that individuals who post more selfies on their social networks have narcissistic and antisocial traits.

On the other hand, according to research by Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and published in Computers in Human Behaviour, the way a selfie is taken can express a person's personality traits, e.g., whether it is more or less selfie-taking.for example, whether he or she is more or less extroverted, responsible or friendly. This study concludes that:

• Compassionate, cooperative and kind people appear smiling and cheerful in their selfies.

• Kind people take selfies from below.

• Not revealing the location of the photo may indicate that the person is concerned about his or her privacy.

• "Pouting" is typical of insecure, anxious and jealous people.

• The more open the photo, the more emotional positivity.

To know if they are true and to be more certain of the results of this research, scientists will have to conduct other studies to confirm these conclusions. What is clear is that science is beginning to take notice of this phenomenon.