Yahoo Lifestyle Gen Y Spends Five Hours A Week Taking Selfies
Selfies: generation X doesn't get them, generation Y can't live without them.
But the humble self-portrait seems to be taking a chunk of our time - five hours a week to be exact.
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According to a recent survey of 2000 women, those aged 16-24 are the most likely to turn the camera on themselves, with 48 minutes a day spent primping and preening for the perfect shot.
"Selfies are one way for a female to make space for herself in the world: to say 'I'm here, this is what I actually look like, my story counts, too,'" says Pamela Grossman, the director of visual trends at Getty Images. "They allow girls to shine on their own terms."
But according to clinical psychologist Bart Rossi, selfies have a dark side too.
"Today, too many people are interested in making a statement about themselves on the internet and creating an influential existence," says Rossi. "Selfies, when used to excess show a lack of depth and a shallow personality.
"If someone is obsessed with taking selfies it is most likely because the individual is self-absorbed and narcissistic."
Ouch.
Considering Gen Y has built a culture out of selfies, are we to label an entire generation as "narcissistic"?
Not so, says Dr Jeremy Adams, registered psychologist, but you should be aware that getting "likes" on social media can trigger the same addiction part of the brain experienced by gamblers.
"The feedback loop when someone gets a 'like' on social media, triggers the same part of the brain as when someone wins on the pokies or takes a line of cocaine. Not to the same degree, but the pleasure sensor involved basically gets us to repeat behaviours. It's a potential problem because if you base your confidence around likes on social media, which you're doing because it gives you a temporary buzz, you then end up wasting hours a day taking selfies, to keep getting that feeling! By all means use social media but be aware of what can happen."
New data from a campaign by ITV's Good Morning Britain found half of the women surveyed feel depressed looking at pictures on social media - and they take on average six photos before they're satisfied enough to post them online.
On top of that, nearly a third of respondents say selfies build their self-esteem - and they will actually delete their shot if it doesn't get enough likes immediately.
So what's the solution? Should you embrace the selfie ala Kim Kardashian, or reign it in like Lorde, who famously posted a shot of herself with acne?
Either way, we think less time spent chasing the perfect selfie couldn't hurt.
GALLERY: 13 selfies that got us talking
GALLERY: 13 selfies that got us talking
