Life in Plastic

Miss Ohlala delves behind the lens to discuss if there is more going on behind the everyday ‘selfie’ than what meets the public eye.

Am I smiling because I’m happy? Or am I happy because I’m smiling? In a psychological version of the chicken-or-egg game, researchers have long tried to understand the relationship between facial expressions and our emotions. It appears that the jury is out on this one as traffic seems to go both ways on this street - when we smile, our brains decide that means we must be happy, whether the smile is genuine or forced. It feels like I’m talking to my partner - I just cannot win.

People who frequently post selfies are often targets for accusations of narcissism and tastelessness. But what’s really going on here? What is it about the self-portrait that’s so resonant as a form of communication? And why, psychologically, might someone feel so compelled to snap the perfect selfie that they’d risk their life, or the lives of others? This is at the very extreme dimension of taking a selfie amidst dangerous surroundings and/or activities, not the usual risk that I face of cracking the photographic lens when I fall privy to such a mundane act of vanity.

Some have argued that selfies can boost confidence by showing others how ‘awesome’ you are, and can preserve important memories. I’ll be honest and say that I have been guilty of posting to rival uploads of some of my friends. Who doesn’t want to see my beverage intake midweek on holiday? Mimosas anyone? SNAP! In this sense, the selfie is the perfect medium: it’s an easy way to offer proof of an exciting life, extraordinary talent and ability, unique experiences, personal beauty and attractiveness. Isn’t it?

I also find it important not only to ask why people post selfies, but also to ask why anyone bothers looking at them. We’ve all fallen guilty to berating that person who has uploaded ‘yet another selfie’ or found ourselves ‘nitpicking’ at a recent holiday snap - in its primary form if we’re honest with ourselves is it just mere envy?

The approval that comes from “likes” and positive comments on social media is rewarding – particularly for the lonely, isolated or insecure and those most likely to post selfies appear to have lower self-esteem than those who don’t. In sum, selfies draw attention, which seems like a good thing but, so do car accidents when people are quite literally glued to their smartphones - the adonis to provide affirmation of popularity, albeit in a virtual reality.

So a picture may be worth a thousand words, but perhaps a thousand smiling selfies are worth even more to our mental health and overall happiness.

We’re all for celebrating individuality after all, aren’t we?