Selfie Addiction is a Mental Health Issue
Selfies are a major trend today where you take photos of yourself and upload them on social media. Because of the smartphone device being able to flip a camera angle directly towards you instead of just in front, people love to take advantage of that so that they have control of what they look like. While pictures may seem harmless, it can lead to serious consequences if not careful.
People can take selfies to get attention in order to receive as many likes and comments as possible. Being praised for looking good in a photo can make the photographer’s self-esteem go up as well as instant gratification. People also take selfies to show off for friends to document their achievements online to receive praise such as if you bought a new dress or got a new haircut. This is also a good way to get someone’s attention such as if you have a crush on someone but you are too shy to confront them in person. You can take a flirtatious selfie in hopes that they will see it and comment. Sometimes people just take selfies out of boredom to pass the time and to have fun.
People who are addicted to selfies can either like themselves more as a result or the total opposite. Many can develop narcissistic qualities where they obsessively spend all of their free time either taking photos of themselves or editing them to make themselves look perfect. There are many photo editing programs where you can hide any facial imperfections and fix angling, filtering and lighting to give people unrealistic expectations that this is what you look like.
Unfortunately, these qualities can weaken or destroy relationships as friends may not like to be around someone who likes to look at themselves all the time or only talk about which picture of themselves they like better. While there are some who get an ego boost from selfies, there are others who develop body dysmorphic disorder where they feel like they do not look good in their pictures unless they get help from photo editing programs or they get plastic surgery. Celebrity plastic surgeon Dr. Philip Miller says there has been a 10% increase in rhinoplasty to have the ideal nose for a selfie. Taking selfies should be done in special moments and not excessively or you could lose real relationships or become too self-conscious.
Castle Craig Hospital is a landmark of addiction and mental health treatment in Scotland, serving the UK, the EU, and patients from all over the world. Our commitment to long term abstinence has created a successful program of clinical and complementary therapies for mind, body, and spirit. Serving over 10,000 patients for more than 25 years, the Castle Craig model is proven in changing lives. Call our 24 hour free confidential phone-line for information: 01721 546 263. From outside the UK please call: +44 808 271 7500
