The Science Behind Selfies Is Actually Pretty Terrifying

by N/A, 10 years ago | 4 min read

Turns out, selfies won't just annoy the hell out of all of your Instagram followers...they have been linked to serious mental health problems as well!

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Body Dysmorphic Disorder is a serious condition that can be majorly affected by taking selfies.

This is a disorder that causes those who suffer from it to believe that their body looks MUCH worse than it actually does.

Dr. Veal, a psychiatrist, says that somewhere around two thirds of his patients who suffer from BDD also take a compulsive amount of selfies.

It's this compulsion that Dr. Veal uses cognitive behavioral therapy to treat.

It breaks down the compulsion and looks at the ROOT of having to take all these selfies, then helps the patient change their behavior.

Bieber, you need a Dr. Veal in your life.

The condition was severe enough, in one case, to lead to one teenager's attempted suicide.

The English teenager was labeled a "selfie addict," and is considered one of the first.

The trend has been gaining alarming attention in Thailand, as well.

Panpimol Wipulakorn, a member of the Thai Mental Health Department, doesn't underestimate how serious they can be.

"To pay close attention to published photos, controlling who sees or who likes or comments them, hoping to reach the greatest number of likes is a symptom that 'selfies' are causing problems," says Wipulakorn.

While selfies may seem innocent, there's serious harm that can be done as a result.

It's one thing to send a quick photo to one of your friends.

It's another thing entirely to let the pattern take over your mind, and your life.

We're not saying stop selfies altogether!

We're all guilty of a quick selfie here and there.

But we ARE urging you to take care of yourself, and understand that there are more important things in life.

Taking the perfect selfie isn't the do all end all!

And if your selfie game is suffering a little, don't fret.

There are people who will love you, no matter what your selfies look like.