Introduction
Over a period of time, technological advancement has given us a new Addiction Disorder. Selfie is a photo of yourself that you take, typically with a Smartphone/ webcam. Smartphones are no longer a communication device but serve as a substitute for the home computer and have internet-related access as well as a camera that with its high resolution now substitutes the camera. 1
A “selfie” is defined as a self-portrait photograph that a person has taken of oneself, typically with a Smartphone or webcam and then shared via social media. The word introduced in 2013 has become a household name and is even featured in the latest Oxford English Dictionary.2 Even though a rage, the phenomenon of selfie taking has never been studied in India from a scientific perspective. There has been an exponential rise in selfie taking among youth that operates a smartphone.3 Certain studies have reported selfie taking being linked to psychopathologies such as grandiosity, narcissism, and body dysmorphic disorder.4
Self esteem is conceptualized as one's positive and negative evaluations of himself or herself and, relatedly, one's approval or disapproval of the self.5, 6 It is believed that social media could enhance self-esteem, as individuals self-select how they present themselves and because they may receive social support or positive social feedback which they want. On the other hand, social media may foster low self-esteem through the inherent opportunity to compare oneself to others and the possibility that one may receive negative, or no, social feedback. Specific to posting pictures on social media,7 report that individual with lower self-esteem are more likely to remove unflattering pictures of them and are less likely to report sharing photos. Ten percent of the students in the youth “very often” edited their images using software to make themselves look more appealing and 14.3% copied famous celebrities' style of coping selfies. The desire to look a certain way can be self-destructive and lead to low, fragile self-esteem.8 The presence of body image dissatisfaction among adolescents is high as reported in various studies.9
Materials and Methods
The assurance of confidentiality and anonymity will be given at all levels to all the participants. A proforma is designed to collect basic data relevant to the study. All subjects participating in the study have to have access to a Smartphone which was their own.
Results
Table 1
How often selfies are taken?
|
How often do you take selfie |
Frequency |
Percent |
|
Not answered |
1 |
1.0 |
|
Less than 24 hrs |
4 |
4.0 |
|
1-3 days |
4 |
4.0 |
|
3 days – 1 week |
16 |
16.0 |
|
1 week – 1 month |
75 |
75.0 |
|
Total |
100 |
100.0 |
Table 2
Location preference for taking selfies
|
Where do you like to take selfies |
Frequency |
Percent |
|
Not answered |
1 |
1.0 |
|
Indoor |
9 |
9.0 |
|
Outdoor |
35 |
35.0 |
|
Both |
55 |
55.0 |
|
Total |
100 |
100.0 |
Table 3
Selfie taken to identify location
|
To identify the location |
Frequency |
Percent |
|
Not answered |
1 |
1.0 |
|
Yes |
36 |
36.0 |
|
No |
61 |
61.0 |
|
3 (Roll no. 33, 96) |
2 |
2.0 |
|
Total |
100 |
100.0 |
Table 4
Selfie taken to inform other group members
|
To inform other group members |
Frequency |
Percent |
|
Not answered |
1 |
1.0 |
|
Yes |
32 |
32.0 |
|
No |
67 |
67.0 |
|
Total |
100 |
100.0 |
Table 5
Selfie taken whenever ready
|
Whenever you get ready |
Frequency |
Percent |
|
Not answered |
1 |
1.0 |
|
Yes |
28 |
28.0 |
|
No |
71 |
71.0 |
|
Total |
100 |
100.0 |
Table 6
Selfie taken to check picture quality
|
To check picture quality in a particular device/mobile |
Frequency |
Percent |
|
Not answered |
1 |
1.0 |
|
Yes |
55 |
55.0 |
|
No |
42 |
42.0 |
|
4 (Roll no. 59,75) |
2 |
2.0 |
|
Total |
100 |
100.0 |
Table 7
Frequency of posting selfies on social media
|
How often do you post them in social media |
Frequency |
Percent |
|
Not answered |
1 |
1.0 |
|
1-3 days |
4 |
4.0 |
|
3 days – 1 week |
4 |
4.0 |
|
1 week – 1 month |
91 |
91.0 |
|
Total |
100 |
100.0 |
Table 8
Company for selfies
|
Selfies taken |
Frequency |
Percent |
|
Not answered |
1 |
1.0 |
|
Individual |
8 |
8.0 |
|
With family |
2 |
2.0 |
|
With friends / group |
20 |
20.0 |
|
All the above |
69 |
69.0 |
|
Total |
100 |
100.0 |
Table 9
Usage of filters to take selfies
|
Will you use filters or beauty enhancing app/filters to take selfie |
Frequency |
Percent |
|
Not answered |
1 |
1.0 |
|
Yes |
23 |
23.0 |
|
No |
73 |
73.0 |
|
3 (Roll no. 30, 33, 89) |
3 |
3.0 |
|
Total |
100 |
100.0 |
Table 10
Selfies taken to seek attention
|
To get attention from others |
Frequency |
Percent |
|
Not answered |
1 |
1.0 |
|
Yes |
9 |
9.0 |
|
No |
89 |
89.0 |
|
3 (Roll no. 33) |
1 |
1.0 |
|
Total |
100 |
100.0 |
Table 11
Selfies taken to reduce stress
|
To reduce stress level |
Frequency |
Percent |
|
Not answered |
1 |
1.0 |
|
Yes |
24 |
24.0 |
|
No |
74 |
74.0 |
|
3 (Roll no. 65) |
1 |
1.0 |
|
Total |
100 |
100.0 |
Table 12
Selfies taken to enjoy environment better with selfies
|
To enjoy my environment better with selfies |
Frequency |
Percent |
|
Not answered |
1 |
1.0 |
|
Yes |
33 |
33.0 |
|
No |
63 |
63.0 |
|
3 (Roll no. 30, 77, 89) |
3 |
3.0 |
|
Total |
100 |
100.0 |
Table 13
Selfies taken to enhance confidence
|
To feel confident |
Frequency |
Percent |
|
Not answered |
1 |
1.0 |
|
Yes |
26 |
26.0 |
|
No |
73 |
73.0 |
|
Total |
100 |
100.0 |
Table 14
Selfies taken to gain popularity
|
To increase my social status /Popularity |
Frequency |
Percent |
|
Not answered |
1 |
1.0 |
|
Yes |
12 |
12.0 |
|
No |
87 |
87.0 |
|
Total |
100 |
100.0 |
Table 15
Selfies increases positivity
|
Selfies makes me think positively |
Frequency |
Percent |
|
Not answered |
1 |
1.0 |
|
Yes |
17 |
17.0 |
|
No |
79 |
79.0 |
|
3 (Roll no. 3, 40, 96) |
3 |
3.0 |
|
Total |
100 |
100.0 |
Table 16
Selfies taken to enhance mood
|
To enhance my mood |
Frequency |
Percent |
|
Not answered |
1 |
1.0 |
|
Yes |
27 |
27.0 |
|
No |
72 |
72.0 |
|
Total |
100 |
100.0 |
Table 17
Looking at own selfies increase confidence level
|
Looking at my selfies increases my confidence |
Frequency |
Percent |
|
Not answered |
1 |
1.0 |
|
Yes |
19 |
19.0 |
|
No |
79 |
79.0 |
|
3 (Roll no 40) |
1 |
1.0 |
|
Total |
100 |
100.0 |
Table 18
Selfies taken to store memories
|
To store better memories |
Frequency |
Percent |
|
Not answered |
1 |
1.0 |
|
Yes |
83 |
83.0 |
|
No |
16 |
16.0 |
|
Total |
100 |
100.0 |
Discussion
Clicking the selfies is the forms of identity at work in which group of the individual is either implicit or clearly enacted. One author from a study done at the Media Psychology Research Center, stated, Selfies are commonly indicating the perceptions of self or attention seeking behaviour in social dependence.10
The professional students in our study had a positive outlook toward the concept of selfies. In this study 75 students have mentioned that they click selfie definitely within one month from the previous selfie, where as the duration of clicking selfie range in the questionnaire was between 1 week to 1 month, hence the exact duration of clicking the selfie was not made out as compared to the other studies. Whereas 16 students have taken selfie between 3 days to 1week. And 4 students have clicked the selfie in less than 3 days and same number of students have clicked the selfie in a day only. In one of the studies conducted at Google reported that on an average, an adult takes 4 photos or videos a day and clicks 2.4 selfies a day while an average teen takes 6.9 photos or videos a day and clicks 4.7 selfies/day.11
Number of selfie taken out outdoor were 35 compared to indoor which was only in 9 subjects. And 36 subjects have answered that the selfie taken outdoor was to identify the location. And 32 subjects have taken these silfies to inform others that either they have reached this location or they were present at that particular location at eh given time.
Some studies noticed that identity of races are speaking about both off and online, race is a group marker and can be celebrated in a variety of ways: language, clothes, hair, music, tattoos. With this people can see and compare others who are like them and those who are not via selfies. This is consistent with the study conducted by Williams and Marquez who reported that African Americans regard selfies as a positive way to present to others of their race.12
Over the famous social network on Twitter, connecting, and engaging with others who have similar concerns, experiences, tastes and cultural practices”.13 Although closest friendship group was a correlate of selfie intensity, the commonest onmes were women and social capital affinity–social media. These variables are showing the intercorrelation and this may provide evidence of intersecting identities among women. Women have reported strong feelings of friendship and affinity with those in their social media networks, some of whom are close and others who are not well known although like-minded and similar. Women group when compared with men group have reported varying estimates of motivations for taking selfies and contexts for taking them. Which may point out that men have motives and contexts for selfies. Similarly, it may be that young men just do not choose to take selfies. Selfies are more likely to be part of being a woman in a cultural sense, especially as women show a maximum presence on social media and showing relational reasons for doing so.14
Some individuals that is about 28 have taken the selfies to inform that they are ready to move out or go out. Fiftyfive individuals have mentoned that selfie were taken to check the quality of the picture form their mobile.
As per one study conducted by Valerie Barker and Nathian Shae Rodriguez, Instagram and Snapchat were the most popular platforms. Instagram postings have shown the strongest relationship with selfie intensity; however, the data from their study convey that specific social media platforms are outlets for specific types of identity motivations for selfies.
In a study done by Senft and Baym had briefed in his study that taking selfie as a gesture that can send and may be intended to send different messages to different individuals, communities, and audiences.15
Duguay (2016) also concluded that selfies as part of a conversation, stating, “Messages communicated through selfies can feature in conversations reinforcing dominant discourses within existing publics or form counterpublics, gathering people around alternative and opposing discourses”. The clicking of selfie then act as a tool of connection and community-building via social media.16
Participants replied that taking selfies to say something about who they are, connect with others, feel better about themselves, feel empowered, and to a lesser extent, identify with others like themselves.
As per the available literature something apart from the narcissism that is often associated with selfies. Instead, it appears that selfies can be used to make a personal and political statement. Indeed, the literature suggest a complexity behind this apparently simple act. This is not to deny evidence of ambivalence about posting selfies, as demonstrated by the disconnect between estimates about one's own motives for selfies and others' motivations. That aside of the data imply that social media users value the opportunity to tell others something about themselves and to engage with others in the process by posting selfies. And this is productive on a personal level in terms of enacting identity, but also on a wider network level in connecting with others whether the common denominator is gender, race, and sexual orientation, or all of these. In selfie takers, it has been noticed that they craft their identities online and communicate them to others in their chosen audiences/communities.
Conclusion
In the present study a total more than half of the participants; students have mentioned that they click selfie definitely within a month from the previous selfie. Whereas few students have taken selfie between 3 days to 1week. This shows how often the students are taking selfies. Very few study participants have clicked the selfie in less than 3 days and same number of students have clicked the selfie in a day only. And nearly half of subjects have answered that the selfie taken outdoor was to identify the location. Some individuals that is about quarterly participants have taken the selfies to inform that they are ready to move out or go out. And more than 50% of individuals have mentioned that selfie were taken to check the quality of the picture form their mobile.
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