Katie Hunter and Erin Seils |
Taking selfies has become second nature within our society. People take selfies to remember good times, but as it turns out, it can have a negative impact on mental health. Has it become an obsession?
It is estimated that over one million selfies are taken per day. Apps such as snapchat allow users to share moments with their friends who can’t be there. However, this is not always a positive as people may feel excluded or lonely and in some cases may believe their friends are bragging.
Frankly, selfie-taking has become an addiction. Many young people believe there are standards every selfie has to exceed. Focus is put on how many ‘likes’ each photo gets and some may even be tempted to delete photos on social media if they do not surpass society’s high expectations.
According to the American Psychiatric Association an addiction to selfies should be considered an indication of a mental illness such as self esteem issues and anxiety. Taking an excessive amount of selfies everyday could possibly lead to suicidal thoughts, perhaps caused by comparing popularity or social status. Social media sites don’t appear to be trying to find a way to resolve this issue especially with the rumours of the Facebook dislike button being added.
We believe that selfies with friends can be a good reminder of fun group outings however the need to showcase every detail of your life with pictures is unnecessary. Is there a chance our generation will ever overcome the selfie taking obsession that now exists?
