Selfie addiction can be a serious mental disorder!

Clicking too many selfies? Is #Selfie Addiction Related To Mental Disorder?

Mr. P. Rajan

M.Sc - Applied Psychology, P.G.Dip.in Guidance &Counselling, B.A., Psychology, Dip.in Pharmacy

Psychologist • 20 People helped • 24 Year experience

Clicking too many selfies? Selfie addiction can be a serious mental disorder!

With the wide awareness of this form of expression, ‘selfies’ have not only managed to take the millennials by storm but even the older population. From politicians to famous celebrities taking selfies and sharing it out to the world, everyone seems to have caught the selfie bug.

However, despite this social phenomenon, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) has categorically confirmed that taking too many selfies is a mental disorder. So much so that they even coined the term ‘Selfitis’ for the obsessive-compulsive desire to take photos of one’s own self to post them on social media apps (such as Instagram, Facebook or Snapchat) as a socially rewarding measure. This obsessive need projects the psychological behavior of a person who lacks self-esteem. This may also be due to lack of intimate relationships or loneliness. The association classifies selfitis in the following three types:
Borderline Selfitis: If you’re taking photos of yourself at a minimum rate of three selfies a day without posting them on social media platforms, you’re suffering from Borderline Selfitis.

Acute Selfitis: If you are clicking selfies no less than three times a day and posting each one of these pictures on social media, you’re suffering from Acute Selfitis.

Chronic Selfitis: If you have an uncontrollable urge to take photos of yourself round the clock for posting on social media more than six times a day, you’re suffering from Chronic Selfitis.

Recently, a man diagnosed with body dysmorphic disorder, spent 10 hours a day struggling to take the perfect selfie. He ultimately attempted suicide after failing to do so, reflecting the seriousness of this condition.

However, all being said and done, everything about selfies is not negative. Clicking selfies is a positive activity if done selectively on certain occasions. This includes taking selfies with special people to commemorate precious moments or taking selfies on occasions that matter to you.

A selfie is also a form of self-expression and freedom for many, as you are in control of the picture. This allows you to shed inhibitions and lose your insecurities, while enhancing self-confidence. A good picture showcases your best profile, while also keeping your friends posted on the current events of your life.

If you feel such is the case with you, you can easily seek a professional’s help and find out whether it is due to an underlying cause such as an inferiority complex or low self-confidence. If yes, instead of filling up your emptiness by taking continuous selfies, it would be healthier to focus on enhancing your self-worth in a positive or constructive manner.

Apart from seeking professional help, you could try measures such as taking up a new hobby, being more productive at work, focusing on loving yourself despite your flaws or even building better relationships with your loved ones.

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