BS study saying how selfies lead to mental illness

[prplchknz]

I don't think it does

http://www.realnews24.com/scientists-link-selfies-to-narcissism-addiction-mental-illness/

A British male teenager tried to commit suicide after he failed to take the perfect selfie. Danny Bowman became so obsessed with capturing the perfect shot that he spent 10 hours a day taking up to 200 selfies. The 19-year-old lost nearly 30 pounds, dropped out of school and did not leave the house for six months in his quest to get the right picture. He would take 10 pictures immediately after waking up. Frustrated at his attempts to take the one image he wanted, Bowman eventually tried to take his own life by overdosing, but was saved by his mom.

probably had something else going on and the selfie was just a variable. I mean you can become this obsessed with anything. and the fact that society puts so much emphasize on the selfie. Like I feel like we put as much emphasize on the selfie as we do on women and make up

you could take anything and find a case in society of someone becoming that obsessed. I think he already had something going on and the selfie thing just made it worse.

 

[Stansmith]

Yeah..there's obviously something else going on there.

 

[Lexicon]

Yeah, the kid already had something going on to begin with, but photographing himself became a trigger for his obsessive symptoms. I can see how a variety of media could be triggering for many types of mental illness, but not necessarily the cause of them.

Ironically, photographing myself has actually helped with my own psych issues (distorted body image, history of anorexia nervosa). I still experience a lot of anxiety/shame being photographed, but it's lessened significantly since I photograph myself from time to time, and sharing them was a huge step for me a few years ago. Sort of like exposure therapy, perhaps (pun intended).

 

[prplchknz]

Yeah..there's obviously something else going on there.

Yeah, the kid already had something going on to begin with, but photographing himself became a trigger for his obsessive symptoms. I can see how a variety of media could be triggering for many types of mental illness, but not necessarily the cause of them.

Ironically, photographing myself has actually helped with my own psych issues (distorted body image, history of anorexia nervosa). I still experience a lot fo anxiety being photographed, but it's lessened significantly since I photograph myself from time to time. Sort of like exposure therapy, perhaps (pun intended).

exactly, and the sad thing is people are quick to believe stuff like this. and it just spreads more misinformation. 99% of the population can take selfies with no consequence. to say the selfie caused the problems makes no sense to me. I feel like it's scare tactics done by the media. But really, there's no harm in the selfie

 

[skylights]

The golden rule of my Psych major: Correlation does not equal causation.

 

[prplchknz]

The golden rule of my Psych major: Correlation does not equal causation.

well duh.

also here's my hypothesis on why the media wants to scare us
the selfie probably helps with body image issues of society like [MENTION=5159]Lexicon[/MENTION] said in an earlier post. If people start becoming o ok with the way they look people will stop seeking out plastic surgeons. Celebrities will no longer have power of us, which celebrities sponsor products, and there's less of a reason to buy something that is suppose to make you look prettier, so sales will go down in the beauty industry.

 

[Stansmith]

well duh.

also here's my hypothesis on why the media wants to scare us
the selfie probably helps with body image issues of society like [MENTION=5159]Lexicon[/MENTION] said in an earlier post. If people start becoming o ok with the way they look people will stop seeking out plastic surgeons. Celebrities will no longer have power of us, which celebrities sponsor products, and there's less of a reason to buy something that is suppose to make you look prettier, so sales will go down in the beauty industry.

I think it actually has the opposite effect for some people.

 

[prplchknz]

I think it actually has the opposite effect for a good portion of people.

well no mean looking at other people's selfies. not your own

 

[Lexicon]

I think it actually has the opposite effect for some people.

I think it can go both ways, definitely. Some people who are insecure about their appearance can't resist checking themselves in the mirror. I can see how the digital age would lead to some people getting obsessive over photographing themselves (perhaps like Danny-boy in the article). Then there are others w/the same insecurities, who avoid mirrors as much as possible. I fall into that category. I can't speak for others, but I think it can be useful for those who experience anxiety when looking at themselves/being looked at, who want to overcome that. Like most things, it'll vary from person to person. We all have our nuanced little mental glitches.

 

[skylights]

well duh.

Glad if it's duh to you, but sometime read a newspaper or magazine or just watch the news and observe how many times they're conflated. It is ridiculous how much the media does not adhere to that rule.

 

[prplchknz]

Glad if it's duh to you, but sometime read a newspaper or magazine or just watch the news and observe how many times they're conflated. It is ridiculous how much the media does not adhere to that rule.

trust me I know, I don't trust the media for this reason

 

[Forever_Jung]

OMG, thank you prpl! My friends are posting this study on facebook and going on self-righteous rants about beauty and the narcissistic generation. SHUT UP ALREADY! Selfies are just the new buzzword to scare people. Cyber-Bullying got played out, apparently. There's a BS study for every online trend these days.

 

[Comeback Girl]

Selfies get way too much hate. You know what doesn't? Food pics, because all people I know who post pictures of their food online have some weird obsession over their weight and dieting and stuff and they just don't seem to realize they're being boring as fuck. That's a bad thing, you know.

 

[Hive]

It's basically the same unhealthy mindset of someone suffering from anorexia. Reaching the "ideal" won't ever happen because you have a warped self-image to begin with and nothing will ever be good enough.

He was also treated for OCD and Body Dismorphic Disorder. The headline is just the same old sensationalizing bullshit.

Selfies get way too much hate. You know what doesn't? Food pics, because all people I know who post pictures of their food online have some weird obsession over their weight and dieting and stuff and they just don't seem to realize they're being boring as fuck. That's a bad thing, you know.

I thought everybody agreed that nobody cares for anybody's food pics.

 

[Comeback Girl]

I thought everybody agreed that nobody cares for anybody's food pics.

Tell that to the dumbasses I have to deal with on a regular basis.

 

[HongDou]

OMG, thank you prpl! My friends are posting this study on facebook and going on self-righteous rants about beauty and the narcissistic generation. SHUT UP ALREADY! Selfies are just the new buzzword to scare people. Cyber-Bullying got played out, apparently. There's a BS study for every online trend these days.

All of this. I'm pretty sure it's always been common practice to call someone's sense of self-confidence vanity and narcissism. By petty people that can't stand to see others happy with themselves, they have to drag them down.

 

[chickpea]

Tell that to the dumbasses I have to deal with on a regular basis.

I actually like people's food pictures

A lot more than their selfies actually.

 

[Comeback Girl]

I actually like people's food pictures

A lot more than their selfies actually.

Posting food pictures indicate that the most interesting thing in your life is food. That's a bad thing and shouldn't be encouraged.

 

[The Ü™]

God, look at all the iPhones. I think that's the bigger cause of mental illness.

 

[chickpea]

Posting food pictures indicate that the most interesting thing in your life is food. That's a bad thing and shouldn't be encouraged.

But I love food and am very interested in it.