PSYCHO DISORDER SELFIES | ZARNAB TARIQ



    Time has changed, but importance of life can never be denied. Once there was only a post office always filled or overwhelmed by letters, as letters were famous for half but detailed conversation among individuals then technology stepped out and letters were replaced by voice medium, the telephone then took a leap from wire to wireless signals, and eventually signals spread in the air leading to invention of cell phones. However the environment was still under control up till the smart phones were introduced in market with highly organized and advanced Apps and technological stuff.

    2014 was considered as the year of selfies, but the blind use of “SELFIE” trend is tremendously affecting the psycho pattern of individuals. And this rapid expansion in technology is becoming a cause of injuries or probably death of its addicted users, just like Selfie addiction. Owing to selfie fever people are not only psychologically but physically getting hurt on daily basis. Till 2015, 49 death cases were reported and the rate is increasing day by day due to Perfect Selfie psyche of people.
Demographic breakdown:







The data extensively shows the causalities occurring due to selfie trend.







These figures show the physical hurdles and damage of selfies while lot of researches and reports concluded selfie as a mental disorder. According to foreign media reports, The APA made a classification during its annual board of directors meeting in Chicago. The disorder is called ‘selfitis’ and is defined as the obsessive compulsive desire to take photos of one’s self and post them on social media as a way to make up for their lack of self-esteem and to fill a gap in intimacy.

According to study, people who share lots of selfies are displaying psychopathic traits. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) has officially confirmed that taking pictures of one’s own self is a mental disorder, and the most disturbing fact revealed by APA is this, that there is currently no cure for the disorder, temporary treatment is available through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). “Cognitive behavioral therapy is used to help a patient to recognize the reasons for his or her compulsive behavior and then to learn how to moderate it.

APA categorizes selfitis disorder into 3 types of obsessed people with taking selfies. First category is Borderline selfitis, those who take photos of one’s self at least three times a day but don’t post them on social media, they are moderately attractive people. Secondly Acute selfitis, who take photos of one’s self at least three times a day and post each of the photos on social media, they are those People who have groomed for these activities. Chronic selfitis is third category related to those who have the uncontrollable urge to take photos of one’s self round the clock and posting them on social media over six times a day and particularly attention seekers.

There are also reports available regarding “APA claiming selfitis a mental disorder” as rumors and mentioning that APA never officially confirmed that selfie taking is a metal disorder but yet psychologists are pretty much agreed that too much selfies may lead to cause psychological disorders or metal disturbance.

According to psychiatrist Dr David Veal: “Two out of three of all the patients who come to see me with Body Dysmorphic Disorder, (it’s a psychological disorder in which a person becomes obsessed with imaginary defects in their appearances) since the rise of camera phones have a compulsion to repeatedly take and post selfies on social media sites.”

Selfies frequently trigger perceptions of self immoderation or attention seeking tactics that raises the hopeless thoughts relating narcissism or very low self-esteem.

Excessive use of anything can be dangerous and there’s nothing more important than one’s life and careful use of technology can save your life.

Think and Act Responsibly!


Researcher Pakistan

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