Have you ever felt uncomfortable taking a selfie? Research shows us why taking a selfie can make us happier.
Taking a selfie can really boost your mood. This is according to a study in the journal Psychology of Well-Being.
The “experiment”
The survey consisted of 41 students. They were asked to download an app on their smartphones and track their mood over four weeks.
The students were then divided into three groups. The first group was asked to take a smiling selfie every day.
The second group was asked to take pictures of things that made them happy.
The third group was asked to take pictures of things they thought would make other people happy. Then send the photos to those people.
At the end of the month, the survey found that all three groups had experienced an overall increase in happiness.
The results
“The qualitative results showed that those in the selfie-taking group noticed changes in their smile over time.
Similarly, the group that took pictures to improve their own feeling became more reflective.
Finally, those who took photos for others found that the connection with family members and friends grew.
The results showed that it helped relieve stress.” The study concluded.
In the selfie group, themes such as “mood change due to feeling more confident, comfortable or creative” were observed.
In contrast, some of the selfie group reported “anxiety”. This was because they had to smile in every photo – but overall, the response was definitely positive.
“As the days went by, I felt more comfortable photographing myself,” said one of the participants.
“If you feel good about yourself, then a selfie would be a way to capture that.”
The conclusion
Of course, 41 students is a very small number for any study. This means that it will have to be expanded considerably to make the results more convincing. But it can form the basis for similar research.
To conclude, taking selfies can put us in a good mood.
Next time you take a selfie you can claim that psychology is on your side.
Don’t forget to be #FabuleuxMoi
