Facial Distortion in Selfies

"There is a noted relationship between the increase in selfie photographs and an increase in rhinoplasty requests, particularly among younger patients."

"We need to increase awareness of how false perceptions on selfies may affect rhinoplasty requests, perceptions of self-image, and subsequent depression and anxiety."

Professor Bardia Amirlak, Department of Plastic Surgery, University of Texas

Requests for plastic surgery on younger peoples' noses have been on the rise. Scientists from the University of Texas, led by Professor Amirlak of the university's department of plastic surgery, found that younger patients in particular have been booking rhinoplasties, and the reason appears to be that selfies tend to distort their features. The study saw publication in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

No consideration appears to have been given by those seeking to alter their noses to the fact that rhinoplasty is not an intelligent route to take in this instance; taking fewer selfies might represent a more intelligent option. Clearly, their birth nose is not at fault; whereas the optical result of a camera with a tendency to distort facial features is. Their smartphones make photographs turn out with their faces appearing longer and wider.

For their study, the scientists had thirty volunteers agree to sit for three photographs, two of which were taken with a smartphone, 12 and 18 inches distant from their faces, and the third photographs taken with a digital camera from a five feet distance. The next step was to compare each photo 'landmark' measurements -- including nose, lip, chin and facial width. Questionnaires were completed as well by participants, asked to rate their satisfaction with their image appearance on each of the photographs.

The result of the study was to reveal that noses looked up to 6.4 percent longer in the selfie as compared with how it appeared in a standard photograph. The volunteers' chins were shortened by up to 12 percent with the ratio of nose to chin rising by 17 percent in the selfies. Relative to the face, those selfies produced photos where the base of the nose appeared wider.

Photos taken up close. The image on the left is stretched. The nose is wider, face wider, and ears do not show.  Source: https://eblnews.com/video/why-selfies-can-make-your-nose-look-bigger-363183

Easy on the Selfies...!

"Even when two feeds had similar content, such as depictions of achievement or travel, feelings about the person who posted selfies were negative and feelings about the person who posted posies were positive."
"It shows there are certain visual cues, independent of context, that elicit either a positive or negative response on social media."
"[Several studies found no correlation with selfie posters and narcissistic personality traits in response to affirmative reactions to] 'I like to look in the mirror', 'people like to hear my stories', and 'the world would be better if I ran it'."
"While the findings of this study are just a small piece of the puzzle, they may be important to keep in mind before you make that next post."
Chris Barry, psychology professor, Washington State University

Those who post more selfies are seen as less likeable, a new study finds

A new study out of Washington State University led by psychologist Chris Barry, to see publication shortly in the Journal of Research in Personality, points to the personality type of those who take selfies and post them incessantly for the obvious purpose of drawing positive attention to themselves. What the study concludes is that those who tend to post selfies are not quite positive about themselves, they quaver with insecurity. Aside from being afflicted with an unhealthy dose of egotism, presumably,

Even while the selfie-posters are under the illusion that they are making a positive impact with their endless postings they tend in reality to be viewed as somewhat unlikable, less successful, tending more toward insecurity than people who tended to post what are called "posies", photographs of themselves that have the appearance of traditional photos, generally taken by other people. Clearly, the impression being made with the posting of selfies runs counter to what people intend, hoping for plaudits not put-downs.

Professor Barry enlisted WSU students along  with collaborators from the University of Southern Mississippi in the design of a project whose purpose was to measure judgements of photos posted on Instagram. Thirty students at the Mississippi school were asked to complete personality questionnaires, allowing researchers to make use of their 30 most recent Instagram posts. The 900 images that resulted, minus hashtags, captions and user data were then shown to 119 WSU students asked to rate the profiles on 13 attributes.

The study found that the attribute rating including self-absorption, self-esteem, dependability and likability identified those who posted a larger number of selfies to have lower self-esteem, were lonely, less dependable and less successful than their counterparts who posted posies rather than selfies. Pop culture had it that people who took selfies tended to be more narcissistic and self-absorbed than average, and Dr. Barry set out to test this hypothesis, finding no correlation.

While cautioning that people are motivated for various idiosyncratic reasons to post on social media, Dr. Barry felt that the study's findings might prove useful to people as a lesson in how they might be perceived based on their selfie habit and recommends that those without a companion to help snap photos might wish to make use of a self-timer on their cameras to create some physical distance, for the illusion of being photographed rather than being selfied.

That such photographs, irrespective of whether taken by someone else or through the medium of a timer, tend to be more positively received by a viewer who then would be less critical of the presumed personality of the photo-taker as opposed to the selfie-addicted.

WSU News

Pride Before a Fall 

Paul Almasy/Corbis/Getty  Accidental Cliff Dive

A Polish couple's two young children watched as their parents climbed over the safety barrier and fell to their deaths while taking a selfie on a cliff in Cabo da Roca, Portugal. Once they took a step backwards to angle their shot, they tumbled off of the edge and into the perilous Atlantic Ocean below. Both bodies were not recovered until a day later, as dangerous weather and sea levels prevented their rescue. The traumatized children, ages five and six, were put into the care of Polish diplomats after witnessing the horrifying scene.

"My behaviour on this front ['travel photo addiction'] has been out of control for some time."
"I pre-visualize holiday outfits on social media posts. And you know it's getting ridiculous when you and your friends take exactly the same group selfies on holiday, swapping between each others' camera phones -- then like each other's identical Facebook posts."
Sherelle Jacobs, assistant comment editor, Daily Telegraph

"[...The thinking behind Facebook social network was always how to consume as much of the public's time and attention as possible.] And that means that we need to sort of give you a little dopamine hit every once in a while, because someone liked or commented on a photo or a post or whatever."
"And that's going to get you to contribute more content."
Sean Parker, founding president, Facebook

"When you see an advertisement someone is pushing at you, it makes you reluctant to accept it. But what social media influencers have is the pull factor."
"[As a follower] you're pulling that information, no one is forcing  you to see it. You've selected who you're aligned to."
Dimitrios Buhalis, head, tourism and hospitality department, Bournemouth University

Getty  “Ultimate Selfie” Gone Wrong

A teenage Romanian girl had attempted to take the special selfie on top of a train in the northern town of Iasi, Romania. According to a friend, 18-year-old Anna Urso was planning to post this "ultimate selfie" on Facebook. Urso decided to lie down on the roof of the stationary train car, but when she reached up with one of her legs to pose, but she hit an overhead live wire that shocked her with 27,000 volts. The young girl immediately burst into flames and was pronounced dead at the hospital after suffering burns on over half her of her body.

The irresistible draw of fame and fortune. The impulse and actual compulsion to be noticed. To be viewed as someone really on top of the world, a bold, smart, intriguing character eliciting the admiration of those who would like to do what you do and in the process of following and liking what you do, compelling you to ever more incautiously fascinating adventures, and the proof is right there, in the selfies you take of your smiling, audacious face, a phenomenal natural background framing your face as you achieve a micro-celebrity status, transitory, but pride-inducing.

Getty  A Deadly Current

Chezka Agas, a 17-year-old engineering student from the Philippines, was swept into a deadly wave on the beach on Bangui Bay during a birthday gathering. She was part of a group of engineering students in attendance that posed for a celebratory photo-op in front of the scenic Bangui windmills when the group became caught in the overpowering ocean current. Several of the party guests were injured, but only Agas drowned in the wave.

Last July you were Gavin Zimmerman, 19, focused on taking selfies while standing on a New South Wales, Australia cliff, when pride and incaution catapulted you to imbalance and death. Then in September you were Tomer Frankfurter, 18, whose spectacular fall of 250 metres in Yosemite National Park in California made another victim of selfie fame. Manuela Da Costa Macedo, another selfie-famer who in October fell from a 27th-floor balcony in Panama City, all the while clutching her selfie stick.

Among the most common causes of death were drowning and transport accidents, and then there's animal attacks, electrocution, fire and firearms adding up to 259 documented deaths attributable to "taking a selfie", even while those in the know believe that number is not the true reflection of selfie-induced deaths. Those who carefully plan their travel escapades with a view to capitalizing on exotic, strange, exciting, unusual or dangerous backgrounds, smugly happy face in the foreground represents an "ego travel" phenomenon.

Getty   Deadly Walrus 

A Chinese businessman named Jia Lijun tried to take a selfie with a one-and-a-half-ton walrus at a zoo in Liaoning province, China. Apparently, the man was a big fan of this particular walrus, having previously sent photos and videos of it to his friends and family along with the message, "so strong, so big.

Tour company Thomas Cook in its 2018 holiday report posits that over half of 18 to 24 vacationers visualize how their choice of vacation spot will appear on their social media posts before making the final decision of where they will stay and where they plan to travel. Older travellers too involve themselves in the same way with 15 percent of over-55 vacationers considering what to share online "to make their friends jealous", while deciding where they will book.

Getty      Accidental Explosion

Two Russian soldiers in the Urals region west of Siberia were posing for a selfie with a live grenade. The handheld explosive detonated unexpectedly and, going off in their faces. Only the phone with the photo survived.

The quest for extreme selfies led to the immediate deaths of 259 people, between the years 2011 and 2017, according to researchers at the U.S. National Library of Medicine last year, in their global study. For some of those involved, the recognition they crave goes beyond the social status they assume, but extends to the money they can attract as well. On Instagram "travel influencers" whose large followings influence tour operators and hotels to cash in, create a collaboration promoting ads.

More likes and followers are attracted to more extreme posts, all of this eventually racking up and converting to considerable income. It is the "pull factor" identified by Mr. Buhalis that businesses respond to, with social media content becoming more useful than conventional marketing. To that end, some in the travel business have introduced Instagram "butler" services, staff helpful in aiding clients to take the perfect selfies for their social media feed.

Night thunder storm lightning in sky.  Getty     Selfie Stick Lightning Rod

In July 2015, an unnamed English hiker was struck by lightning while trekking through the Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales. The fatal bolt was suspected to have hit the extended metal rod of a selfie stick and electrocuted the young man.