Today, selfies are the self-expression method of choice. From printed t-shirts (#selfie) to obnoxious yet catchy pop songs, (‘let me take a selfie’) it’s hard to go a day without finding yourself in the vicinity of a shutterbug taking a picture…or taking one yourself, right?
Recently, a study conducted at Brigham Young University concluded that selfie takers can be divided into three categories: communicators, auto biographers, and self-publicists. So while some argue that their selfies are plain harmless fun or a way to further self-esteem and body positivity, there is, in fact, a science behind it.
The study aimed to find what drives people to take a selfie. In the olden days, paintings of self-portraits adorning hallways and over fireplaces were the norm. Today, little has changed and it isn’t unusual to see celebrities like the Kardashian-Jenner ladies flaunt their trademark pout in pictures all over Instagram and other social media.
46 participants were chosen and asked to answer a series of questions about their selfie habits, which were then analysed.
So, take a look and see if you identify with any of these ‘qualities’:
1. Communicators:
These people upload their selfies on social media in an effort to start conversation. for instance, the questions may range from a variety of topics including, politics, beauty, fashion, food or fitness.
2. Auto-biographers
Those who use their selfies to document their lives. This includes various trips, destinations, outfit posts and even their trips to Starbucks because if you don’t take a selfie at the coffee shop, were you even there? The study claims that these people aren’t looking to start a conversation, rather are just displaying moments from their lives.
3. Self-Promoters
The quintessential narcissist; these people take great pains in capturing themselves in the best angle with great lighting, hoping to gather the most likes, re-tweets, shares and comments. We doubt you need any examples of these…
Makes you look at that selfie stream a bit differently?