Selfies---It’s a part of our modern culture that we all engage in without any real thought, because, well, everyone else is.But most of the time, we do it so we can post them onto social media and show everyone what we look like at our best, and how we spend our time. There are even trends that we jump on board with for no real reason, like after-sex selfies (literally, selfies taken immediately after sex), couplies (selfies of couples, generally quite smug-looking) and uglies (selfies where you pull a face.)
Selfies have bypassed the standard social norms and barriers of ageism and cool-ism. Teens are obsessed, parents think it’s funny to get involved in the trend, celebrities were made for them. They seem to fit everyone to the point where selfies take up all our social media newsfeeds, but is that such a good thing?
A recent study,says it isn’t,that spending time on Facebook looking at selfies is linked to negative feelings about body image.
It is frightening to see the negative impact that a split-second selfie can have on young women, although on some level, we could have predicted this. Constantly looking at carefully edited photos is bound to have an impact on whoever’s browsing them, and it is not that surprising that it makes women worry more about their own body image.
Why we take them then?
Scientists in this study haven’t answered why we’re taking selfies. We jump on board these trends, and we generally do it without thinking, but when we stop and ask ourselves why we’re actually doing it – what will we find?
I’d say it’s because it’s a fun way to capture a moment with a friends, or to show my friends what I’m doing. But that’s not really true. If I ask myself really honestly, I’d say it’s part of showing everyone it is what I look like (after a bit of Instagramming) and this is how I spend my time.
This creates a false sense of real existence that we as humans engage in... Socially and in reality... It leaves me intrigued on what people think of me and also shows emotion with no substance. Touch has lost its sense of feel and emotions have become words both negative and positive. seeing somebody up real and close is not the same than checking the Facebook update and knowing how you feel... but can that really happen... So who knows what selfies really do but we trend the hell out of it so we can feel something...
Well till next time...
Krazy Munkey
