Stop the Selfie….our final plea

Throughout this semester our blog has given you a few of the many reasons why we believe that young people should stop taking selfies and live in the moment. We have shared stories about how selfies can open the door to being a victim of cyber-bullying. We have discussed the dangerous trend of taking selfies while driving. We have shown you statistics that prove taking inappropriate and excessive selfies can ruin your chances of getting that dream job. We have also demonstrated that there are proven links between selfie obsession and immaturity, insecurity, and even mental health problems. All of these reasons should give even the most obsessed selfie-taker reason to pause before snapping that next picture.

I know that most of you are probably thinking to yourselves, I take a selfie now and then, but I am not obsessed and this blog doesn’t apply to me! We like to think of it this way, every minute that you are snapping a selfie, texting, or checking social media is another minute that you are not living life to its fullest. Put down the phone, lift up your eyes, and Seize the Day!

According to a study done by College Quarterly, the average college student spends over 16 hours per week on social media, that’s more time than they spend on any other activity including studying. That is 16 hours that could have been spent talking to people, playing sports, enjoying the outdoors, or any other activities that require you to look up from your mobile device and engage with the world.

http://www.collegequarterly.ca/2013-vol16-num01-winter/huang-capps.html

In fact, according to lifehack.org, if you give up selfies your life will improve in the following ways:

• You Will Be More In The Moment
• Your Self Image Will Be Healthier
• You Will Listen Better
• Your Mental State Will Improve
• You Will Be More Secure
• You Will Have A Better Attitude
• You Will Have A Real Definition Of Beauty
• You Will Be Less Offended By Negativity

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/when-you-stop-posting-selfies-these-10-things-will-happen.html

So please, stop the selfies. Make the most of your life, live in the moment, and be healthier because of it. It may seem difficult at first, but the rewards will last a lifetime.

Ok, so hopefully you have taken our blog to heart and are re-thinking your selfie obsession.   For those of you reading this that are still on the fence and not convinced that you can stop, we have saved perhaps our most compelling argument for last. What celebrities post excessive numbers of selfies on twitter? Miley Cyrus, Kim Kardashian, and Justin Bieber……..nuff said? I would think so….

Cyber Bullying and Selfies

In September 2013, 12 year-old Rebecca Sedwick left her Florida home and walked to a nearby abandoned concrete factory where she climbed to the top of a silo and jumped to her death.  What could cause a middle-school student to choose suicide over facing another day?  Cyber-bullying.  The sad fact is that Rebecca’s story is all too common these days.  The i-SAFE Foundation reports that over half of adolescents and teens have been victims of cyber-bulling and 1 in 3 have received cyber threats online.

http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/cyber-bullying-statistics.html

Harmful bullying is nothing new, but what is different now is the sophisticated tools teens have at their disposal to torment victims.  It used to be that bullying was done face-to-face and if the victim could last until the end of the school day, they were able to retreat to the safety of their homes.  In today’s world of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media channels, bullies have access to their victims 24/7.  Compounding the problem of unlimited access to the victim is the speed with which nasty comments and rumors can be posted and spread via social media to an entire network of individuals.   Once posted, comments take on a life of their own and become a permanent reminder of the abuse the victim suffers.  Victims of cyber-bullying often feel helpless and believe they have nowhere to hide.

Social media also creates a climate where people feel somewhat anonymous and post things on-line that they would never have the nerve to say to somebody face-to-face.  Social media bullies feel safe because they don’t risk face-to-face confrontations and they don’t have to see the impact their actions have on their victims.

What role do selfies play in cyber-bullying?  It’s an unfortunate fact that cyber-bullying often starts with cruel comments made in response to the posting of an innocent selfie.  Even celebrities such as Iggy Azalea have fallen victim to cyber-bullying and body-shaming from a picture posted on-line.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sue-scheff/no-one-is-immune-to-onlin_b_6740214.html

Many people post selfies in the hopes of getting compliments and assurances from their friends, but there is also a flip-side to seeking out attention from others. Unfortunately, posting selfies can attract unwanted negative attention and give bullies an “in” to start harassment.   If the victim is already dealing with self-esteem issues, cruel comments posted about their appearance can lead to depression and other psychological problems. This is not to say that selfie posters deserve the negative attention they get, it is just a warning that there is a risk involved when you post an image of yourself that can be used or commented on in a way you cannot control.

I am not suggesting that by eliminating selfies society will be able to stop cyber-bullying, but at least it will give abusers one less way to access victims. Instead of relying on strangers or distant friends for feedback on your appearance through social media, it is a much better idea to build your self-esteem through face-to-face human interaction where you are being judged by the person you are, and not just the image you post.

Can taking selfies ruin your chances of getting a job?

It’s hard enough to find a job these days and many job applicants may not be aware that it is a common practice among potential employers to scan social media channels to help them make hiring decisions.  In fact, a recent survey by market analyst On Device Research indicates that 91% of hiring managers use social media to screen job applicants.

http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/06/04/applicants-rejected-social-media-on-device-research/

Not only are employers using social media to screen applicants, they are basing hiring decisions on what they find.  The same study found that 1 in 10 applicants are rejected based on negative information that potential employers have observed on social media.  Even with these compelling statistics, 70% of Americans surveyed between the ages of 18 and 34 indicated that they were not concerned about social media hurting their chances of landing a job. That is a huge disconnect.

Most potential job applicants know enough to realize that before they apply for a job they need to go online and clean-up their social media and remove all incriminating pictures that show them drinking, using drugs, or engaging in other illegal behavior.  However, just removing incriminating pictures from social media may not be enough to ensure prospective employers that you have the maturity to fit in the workplace.

Most employers know exactly what they are looking for in an employee, and you may not realize that even the innocent selfie pictures and comments you post are actually telling employers a lot about who you are and how you think.  For example, an applicant may be surprised to learn that the smiling selfie they posted while touring Auschwitz, or the duck face selfie with the burning building in the background both indicated to a potential employer that the applicant was immature and exercised poor judgment. In addition to the types of selfies that show disrespect for sacred places and tragic events, the total number of selfies a job candidate has posted also says a lot to an employer.

In addition to wanting an employee who is mature, most companies also seek out employees that are confident and self-assured. What does it tell an employer if they observe an applicant posted 15 selfies a day in different outfits? According to Psychology Today, it indicates that the person is insecure, a narcissist, and in constant need of affirmation; which is probably not the kind of person an employer wants to deal with on a daily basis.   http://theundercoverrecruiter.com/selfies-affecting-chances-hired/

The bottom line is that every job applicant should take a look at their social media channels and view them from the perspective of a potential employer. What are your pictures and posts saying about you as a person? Are you mature, responsible, self-confident, and respectful of authority? If not, then you should consider what we have been suggesting throughout this blog, have the confidence to “Stop-The-Selfie” and live your life in the moment without the distraction of social media.

The Dangers of Selfies and Driving

There is no disputing the fact that our society is obsessed with cell phones and social media.  This obsession has fueled a disturbing new trend that combines our love of social media and driving in a way that is challenging the safety of everyone that shares our roads.  That trend is taking a “selfie”, or self-portrait with a cellphone, while driving a motor vehicle.   Most people are well aware of the dangers of talking on cell phones or texting while driving, but few people are aware of just how big a danger selfie takers are posing to our safety.   The practice of taking selfies while driving seems to be widespread. On Instagram alone the hashtag #driving has over 3.0 million entries, and the variations #drivingselfie, #drivinghome, and #drivingtowork are also posting big numbers.  (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/31/instagram-while-driving_n_4181120.html)

Not only are millions of selfies being posted while people are driving, the fact is that only a fraction of the selfies taken is even counted in these statistics. Think about in your own life how many times you have taken, deleted, and re-taken a selfie just to get a picture you like? Now imagine doing that while driving a car! It is bad enough when drivers take their eyes off the road to text or make a phone call; it’s a whole other level of distraction when drivers are posing for the camera then editing the pictures to make sure they look good.

Clearly the biggest danger from taking selfies while driving is the potential to be distracted and cause an accident that injures someone or destroys property. Since the “selfie while driving” phenomenon is still fairly new, there are no statistics that specifically track accidents caused by taking selfies. However, statistics are kept on accidents caused by “distracted drivers” which includes activities such as making calls and texting while driving. Accidents caused by “distracted drivers” have been on the rise for the last several years and the United States Department of Transportation estimates that over 420,000 people are injured each year by distracted drivers. (http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/distracted_driving_and_teen_safety/index.htm)

What can we do to reduce these statistics and make our roads safer for everyone? We need every state to pass a law that completely bans the use of hand-held mobile devices while driving, but currently only 14 states have such laws on the books. Forty-five states have adopted laws that specifically prohibit texting while driving, but the language of the laws is so specific to texting that it would not allow a policeman to give a ticket to a person seen taking a selfie. The only way to ensure that a mobile device cannot be used in any distracting way is to completely ban drivers from using them while operating a motor vehicle. Laws are always slow to keep pace with new technology, but in the case of the selfie, it is critical that the public is made aware of the issue and laws are put in place to protect society from distracted drivers. (http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/cellphone_laws.html)

Seeking Perfection That Will Never Come

We live in a society where millions of people, young and old, are addicted to social media.  It is estimated that by the end of 2015, over 2 Billion people around the world will use social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.   The constant need to be relevant on social media and have interesting material to post has given rise to the phenomenon of the “selfie”.  A “selfie” is a self-portrait, usually taken with a smartphone held at arms-length, which typically shows the subject in a flattering pose.  Selfies are so common on social media that one source estimates that over 1 million selfies are shared every day.  On Instagram alone, 53 million photos have been hash-tagged #selfie in the last few years. The word “selfie” is relatively new to our vocabulary, but by 2013, “selfie” was awarded “Word of the Year” by the Oxford English Dictionary cementing its importance in our culture.

http://www.today.com/money/selfie-wont-die-fact-it-just-got-its-own-social-8C11511653

For many people, taking and posting the occasional selfie can be a fun way to connect with friends and family. However, researchers are discovering that there is a darker side to selfie obsession that is altering the self-image and self-esteem of millions. According to Time magazine, many psychiatrists are beginning to consider a compulsion to take selfies “as a serious mental health problem.” In one extreme case a male patient, Danny Bowman, became obsessed with selfies and spent up to 10 hours a day taking hundreds of selfies trying to capture a perfect picture of himself.  His obsession forced him to quit school and eventually led him to try to take his own life.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/real-life-stories/selfie-addict-took-two-hundred-3273819

Thankfully most selfie obsessions do not reach the level of Danny’s, but researchers and medical professionals both agree that the number of mental disorders related to body image have seen a dramatic increase since the “selfie culture” took hold. They have also established that there is a strong link between a patient’s obsession with perceived body flaws and the number of selfies they post in social media. Individuals can become obsessed with controlling how the world sees them striving to project an image that is perfect. Since perfection isn’t unattainable, the individual’s self-esteem can decline resulting in frustration, depression, or worse. Even though most people are not “obsessed” with posting selfies, there is strong evidence that the fewer selfies you post the more likely it is that you are a happy, mature, and secure person. Research shows that even the need to post a modest number of selfies can indicate a poor self-image and the beginning of more serious problems. In a study titled “Tagger’s Delight? Disclosure and liking behavior in Facebook: the effects of sharing photographs amongst multiple known social circles” research showed that people who post a lot of selfies generally have more shallow relationships with people, are more self-absorbed, and are insecure attention seekers.

I think the underlying message in all of the research is that the selfie-culture has both long-term and short-term negative impacts on people. Our Stop the Selfie campaign strives to bring more visibility to the negative issues around the seemingly harmless obsession with selfies and social media. The best advice for everyone is to reduce their reliance on selfies as a way to connect with people and strive to develop deeper relationships with friends and family using face-to-face communication.