It can make you see green.
By
Sam Brodsky, Metro
Whether your go-to is a side profile shot,
you love the traditional head-on approach or you prefer spicing it up
with some definitely-not-staged candids, taking selfies is part of
social media culture.
Though self-love is undoutedly important, studies have shown that
there are negative effects of taking selfies. For one, it can impact the
way you perceive yourself, damaging your mental health in a way that
may
even trigger depression and Body Dysmorphic Disorder.
This is amplified when we use "beautifying selfie apps," to edit photos, one licensed clinical social worker
told Teen Vogue.
As psychologist
Dr. Linda Papadopoulos explained, "what we see with selfie culture is the editing and re-editing of identity.'" And that is a dangerous game to play.
Actually, it’s proven that taking seflies can distort your face — your nose looks bigger in these pictures, according to
researchers from Rutgers University.
Some
experts say
that, overall, social media can negatively affect your love life
because, with the constant pressure to publicize your relationship,
you're spending less genuine time making memories. No matter what's
going on off camera, you're more concerned with how you two look
online.
For instance, if your sole purpose on a couple's vacation is to post those (cliché) "follow me" photos:
...that may be a problem.
And now, research published in
Telematics and Information
suggests that the specific act of taking selfies can have a negative
impact on your relationship by evoking jealousy and creating tention
between you and your partner.
Why taking selfies may be bad for your relationship
Researchers from Boston University and Chile conducted two online
surveys, which were completed by 305 Chilean adults over a two-year
period.
According to the study, the validation that you — the selfie-taker
and poster — get from others can potentially make you less satisfied
with your significant other.
"By sharing flattering images of oneself, an online ideal persona is
created in the picture-taker’s mind that diverges from real-life," the
selfie study explains. And, as
LiveStrong relates,
the "false validation" that comes from these photos can lead you to
belive that you have more romantic options than the person you’re with.
Results from this selfie study also found that the more photos someone posted, the more jealous their partner became.
Jealousy, in turn, makes people quick to question motivations: are
they seeking someone else? This is an example of "storytelling
syndrome," a concept that founder of
eFlirt dating site Laurie Davis Edwards broke down for
The New York Times last year.
"Storytelling syndrome," she explained, is "when you draw conclusions
to decipher what’s happening without first-hand knowledge."
This can escalate quickly and lead to assumptions, which can create a domino effect of conflict.
Taking selfies: The bottom line
If you or your partner is seeing green, the important thing is to
keep open communication and ask why. At the end of the day, a selfie is a
selfie — remember that. It may be what's triggering jealousy, but it's
not the true cause (dig deeper and you'll see).
When I asked my boyfriend how
he felt, he didn’t see a
problem with me taking selfies and sharing them on social media. In
fact, his exact words were, "I genuinely don’t care."
Let's say I uploaded a selfie as my Facebook profile picture. My
boyfriend claims that he doesn’t pay attention to the likes I get.
Better yet, he doesn't see it as bothersome if I do get attention from
said selfie.
And that, my friends, is a true keeper.
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