A Study on Addiction to Selfies and Youth Psychological Health: A Brief Overview

Abstract

The usage of social media has increased significantly in recent years, and among young people’s favorite pastimes is the capture, sharing, and perusing of digital images of oneself, or selfies. But studies on selfies are still in their infancy, and little is known about teenage selfie habits or the relationships between them and confidence in one’s physique and general well-being. This study attempted to close this disparity by doing a narrative analysis of teenage body confidence and well-being in connection to selfie usage. There was no research that examined the association between children’s selfie practices and these relationships. Selfies appear to be a prevalent activity among teenagers, however sharing them online is less common. According to the analyzed studies, some components of selfies may pose more of a risk than
others. In particular, it seems that, at least temporarily in experimental settings, looking at selfies on the internet negatively affects teenagers’ sense of wellbeing and selfworth. Furthermore, asking for and considering other people’s opinions as valuable input might also be detrimental to selfie habits. Lastly, in line with studies looking at social media, social comparison has been shown in this growing body of work to be a possible mechanism via which taking selfies is associated with body confidence and well-being, narracistic behavior.