Are you anxious about being judged for Snapchatting photos of yourself or do you have a folder in your smart phone dedicated to never-ending selfies? Well, toss that selfie-loving shame out the window because a recent study has linked taking selfies to happiness. Don't let selfie-haters fool you because a recent study done at the University of California (Irvine) by computer scientists has found that a good way to curb sadness is to simply take selfies you like and share them.
So, how did computer scientists at the University of California come to this conclusion? They conducted a first hand study with college students and asked these students to go about their normal lives while participating in the study. The study was purely conducted to see if college students use selfie taking methods as a way to relieve stress from exams and other pressures. Although the study does not represent the entire population of the United States or the world, it does give a glimpse into how college students use technology to curb their anxieties, and could point to why apps such as Snapchat and Instagram are so popular among younger generations.
Over the course of a month, 44 college students were instructed to download a controlled app where they could record their moods and feelings throughout the day. During the study, these students were also instructed to take different types of selfies to post to their social media throughout the day. Each participant was randomly selected to post a daily selfie of them smiling, a daily photo of something that made them happy, and or a photo of something that they thought would make others happy. As students reported their moods through out these phases, researchers found that there was an increases in positive mood among all of the groups. Students felt confident after taking a photo of themselves smiling, appreciative after taking photos of things outside of themselves, and happier when they took photos of things for others to see.
For students who spend a majority of their days stressing about exams and assignments, it is hard to find a moment where that stress is relieved, but that stress can be decreased something as simple as selfies.