My family often refers to me as being part of the “selfie generation.” So, naturally, I was curious when I recently read an article titled “Take A Lot Of Selfies? You Might Be A Psychopath, Science Says.”
In summary, the research stated that men who take “selfies” tend to score higher on tests that display narcissism and psychopathy.
Narcissism was defined as having an inflated self-image, while psychopathy was characterized by impulsive behavior and a lack of empathy.
The research expressed that taking selfies would make self-objectification a bigger problem for both men and women. Upon further investigation, I found that the study showed the men who took “selfies” still scored within the range of normal human behavior, they just scored slightly higher.
This article reminded me of a conversation I had with my mother about a month ago. She stated that the “selfie generation” is seeing a lot of problems with focusing too much on what they look like and being prideful. She felt this was a trend that was harming generations.
After some thought, I realized I disagreed with both of these labels. Why would it ever be a problem for someone to be happy with the way they look and who they are? Why is it a problem for them to want to show it off and care about what they look like to the world?
There are too many people in this world who think poorly of themselves. Many women struggle with self-esteem because societal pressure tells them they have to look and act a certain way.
I myself have struggled in this area. Through my struggles, though, I have learned to be confident and appreciate who I am, exactly the way I am.
With the number of advertisements that idolize models and celebrities, I believe it is quite brave to post pictures of yourself online. On some level, I’m sure people do play a comparison game and seek others’ approval of their looks, but they are going to be exposed to that sort of media whether they post pictures of themselves online or not.
I have heard many people preach that others should be more confident in themselves. It is an admirable trait.
Now that a generation is starting to show exactly that trait, people are trying to label them as narcissistic. We can be confident, as long as it is not too much, right?
On the other side of the coin, it is true that some people may be fishing for compliments by posting “selfies.” They may have poor self-esteem and crave compliments.
However, that does not mean we should tell them to stop taking pictures of themselves, which could send the message that they need to hide themselves. Instead, we should be helping them to be happy with who they are and what they look like. Eventually they will see their self-worth for themselves and not seek compliments to feel better.
Whether a person takes a lot of “selfies” or not, there should never be a question of that they think “too much” of themselves. There is a way to be humble and still value your own importance.
Humbleness is about considering others to be important and considering yourself moderately important in comparison. A balance is needed where you care about yourself and care for others, but you can be humble and confident.
In regard to the research finding that “selfie” takers show higher scores displaying psychopathy, lack of empathy could come from a number of environmental aspects.
I believe that it is never a bad thing to be confident in oneself, no matter what the rest of society says. If someone is confident enough to post “selfies” online, then no one should try take away that confidence and tell them they have too high of self-esteem.
