Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Scientists Reveal What "Selfies" Tell Us About Ourselves (and Society)

Wow!

No, this is not some kind of a joke, just in case you were thinking of dismissing it.

I actually thought much the same thing when I, fairly recently, actually learned what "selfies" are. It seemed that they were annoying habits that showed that whoever the person was that was taking them either thought a little too highly of themselves or, perhaps, thought too low of themselves, and were trying to bolster themselves up with these weird pictures, perhaps to superficially make themselves and their lives appear more interesting than they actually were.

But boy, I never used language like these scientists have used to describe "selfies" and the people who take them. Scientists have called them "Digital narcissism", and have drawn a link from engaging in these activities, and addiction, mental illness, and yes, predictably, narcissism.

Truth be told, I suspect that scientists are spot on here. Many people will dismiss this report, and perhaps quip that scientists have too much time on their hands, and that they are reading way too much into this. I can just picture it now, these young and immature kids (mostly) who actually engage in these kinds of activities, scoffing at the notion of being criticized for an activity that, at least on the surface of it, harms no one, and possibly just appears to be a fun way of utilizing our technology.

You could probably say the same thing about people who post pictures of what they are eating for dinner, or other relatively small, everyday things that are of interest to no one but themselves.

In truth, however, I suspect that it is our society that, once again, is not looking at the truth that "selfies" reveal about ourselves and our culture. That there is something sickly and egotistical, self-indulgent, in these activities, and that they are just one more symptom of a larger sickness that has been running rampant on a society wide basis.

Not everyone engages in these activities, true. But many do, and many of the same people that do engage in these, and other, behaviors that truly do reveal narcissism, addiction, and mental illness.

No joke! Take a look at this article by clicking the link below, and see if you agree:



"Scientists Link Selfies To Narcissism, Addiction & Mental Illness"

http://www.realfarmacy.com/scientists-link-selfies-to-narcissism-addiction-mental-illness/

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