Is selfie addiction a mental disorder?

Are constantly selfies shooting people mentally ill?

A few years ago, there were reports in the international press that the obsessive taking of selfies by the American Psychiatric Association had been classified as a mental disorder. Allegedly, this disease is referred to as selfitis. However, it soon turned out that this message was a false report. Researchers are now exploring the connection between psyche and compulsive taking of selfies.

Scientists at Nottingham Trent University in the UK and the Thiagarajar School of Management in India investigated whether a mental disorder is the cause of obsessive taking of selfies. The physicians published the results of their study in the English-language journal "International Journal of Mental Health Addiction".

What is a selfie anyway??

A so-called selfie is a photo of yourself. These images are like a self-portrait and are often taken with cell phones. The phone or camera is held in your own hand. The selfie is then taken from a distance of arm's length. Meanwhile, manufacturers have already responded to the trend and brought tools such as so-called selfie sticks or selfie rods on the market. The selfies are then often flaunted in social networks.

Why do some people take so many selfies??

The researchers found in their recent research that it can indeed be a recognized mental disorder that leads to a compulsive taking of selfies. When people suffer from so-called selfitis, they use the images of themselves to boost their self-confidence or mood. Another reason for taking pictures is the pressure of social competition, experts say.

Compulsive taking of selfies is an addictive behavior

The compulsive taking of selfies is considered by the medical community to be an addictive behavior that illustrates mental health problems, such as low self-esteem. For their study, the scientists first examined 225 subjects. These people came from India. Later, the results were reviewed with the help of 400 other participants.

Men and adolescents are particularly at risk

The present study collected data on the existence of selfitis in relation to the three alleged disease levels (borderline, acute and chronic). The physicians developed a scale for evaluating the condition, the so-called Selfitis Behavior Scale (SBS). Especially men and adolescents aged 16 to 20 years achieved poor results on the rating scale. Nine percent of participants took more than eight selfies per day, while a quarter of subjects released three or more self-exposures per day on social platforms.

Further research is needed

The results show that SBS appears to be a reliable and valid tool for evaluating so-called selfitis, but further studies are needed to validate the concept more rigorously, say the experts. (As)