How selfie culture is warping our perception of ourselves

The rising demand for facelift and necklift treatments are raising questions about the effects of selfies on self-image. Today, taking a selfie is a popular self-presentation strategy and the process usually involves taking a self-portrait with a smartphone and then uploading it on social media. If you visit common photo-sharing sites, for example, Tumblr, Facebook and Instagram, you will most likely come across self-portraits of every registered user.

Selfie culture

In her research about the Selfie Culture, Michele Moses notes that selfies have many negative effects on how the millennial generation perceives themselves. Self-perception is defined by how we see ourselves as well as how other people describe us. When we post selfies on social media, we receive appraisals and judgements, which have substantial effects on our self-image.

The University of Rochester Medical Centre notes that rising cases of cosmetic procedures are an indication of people who are unsatisfied with how they look. As a result, a facelift has become one of the most popular plastic surgery procedures among young people. Today, selfies are the leading cause of low self-esteem and inferiority complex as, to many people, selfie images are unattractive, creating a negative self-perception.

Selfies and self-esteem

Numerous studies have been conducted on the effects of selfies on body image and mood in young people. Most of these studies conclude that self-taken photos may lead to an increased focus on physical appearance. As such, most young people spend a lot of time on appearance-related photo activities, which lead to lower self-esteem, negative body image, and many other appearance concerns. Consequently, most of them end up rejuvenating their faces through cosmetic treatment.

Most smartphones have front cameras that allow users to modify their faces. In a study about the social psychology of the selfie, Christine Erickson states that modern technology allows people to shape how they want to look. There is a significant difference between how people look and the selfies they post on social media. It is possible to create a more ‘likeable self,’ a clear indication that most people are unsatisfied with their current looks.

How can we unwarp our own self-perception?

Social comparison substantially motivates facial modification through facelift and necklift treatments. People’s self-esteem today is based on public contingencies. Masaryk University highlights that posting selfies and gaining feedback creates an outdoing competition, whereby each person seeks to look better than their friends. Feedback received from selfie posts may significantly change how people feel about their overall appearance.

The decision to have a cosmetic procedure should be made due to an individual’s own desires, not the pressure from social media or other external factors. The benefit of a face or necklift, however, is that it prevents individuals from editing their photos and can help them unlock new found confidence that makes selfies and social media seem meaningless.