Selfies can be a symptom of a mental disorder

As a consequence of technological advances, social networks and the presence of cameras in practically all mobile phones, selfies are hotly topical.

Selfies and mental disorder

Both famous and anonymous people enjoy immortalizing “that moment” in different situations of their daily lives. The fever for selfies has led researchers at Sony Brook University in New York to conclude that the excessive use of this fashion can lead to a predisposition to develop an anxiety disorder and depression in adolescents, especially in women, who tend to compare their realities with those they see in this "ideal" world of social networks.

Many experts warn us of the association between narcissism or low self-esteem and the obsession to take these types of photographs.

The selfie phenomenon can be a sign of Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Dr David Veale, a psychiatrist at London's Maudsley Hospital, comments in a recent Sunday Mirror article: “Two out of three patients who come to my office with Body Dysmorphic Disorder they have an obsession for selfies. "

According to Veale,

“Taking selfies is not an addiction, it is a symptom of Body Dysmorphic Disorder that implies being constantly aware of your appearance. Selfie fans can spend hours taking snapshots so as not to show any visible flaws.

Selfies in the image society

In this same line, the psychologist Jonathan García-Allen, a specialist in cognitive-behavioral therapy in adolescents, has stated to Psychology and Mind:

“Selfies are a consequence of the culture and the socioeconomic system in which we live. We have been educated to consume aesthetics, leisure and entertainment because they are axial elements of a society that tends to the alienation of people and the standardization of certain criteria on beauty and fun. Undoubtedly, the interest of these alienation-consumption dynamics constitutes a very profitable business ”.

Over the psychological disorders associated with image culture and consumption, García-Allen points out that:

“It is not surprising that the values ​​of people in the West are influenced by the media and the marketing of large companies in these sectors. This culture leads to a series of disorders if people are not educated to prevent this way of thinking. Pathologies associated with new technologies will increase as they tend to detract from identity subject to expose it to a false showcase of social acceptance, whose maximum exponent is the networks social".

Therefore, García-Allen concludes, "the main problem is not new technologies, but their pathological use".