Are selfies creating a negative self-image and fueling the growing demand for plastic surgery procedures? A study by researchers at Rutgers University says maybe, and their theory is based on math.
The New Jersey researchers say that despite advancements in cell phone cameras, selfies taken from 12 inches away can significantly distort the appearance of facial features with a funhouse mirror effect.
Selfies are typically shared on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat. According to AdWeek, a weekly American advertising magazine, 55 percent of millennials have taken selfies and shared them online, and 1,000 selfies are posted on Instagram every 10 seconds.
The Rutgers selfie study found that a distance of 12 inches can make the tip of the nose appear 7 percent wider on average than it does in real life.
Selfies taken from a foot away also cause the base of the nose to look 30 percent wider compared to pictures taken from a distance of 5 feet away.
Five feet is the distance typically used for portraits.
During their research, study authors designed mathematical models of the “average” male and female face and head using photographs of participants from a wide range of ethnicities and races from around the country.
These models consisted of different parallel planes set perpendicularly to the main axis of smartphone cameras. This design allowed researchers to use geometry to determine the best distance to snap a selfie by calculating the changes in the width of the nose and the width of the cheekbones at various distances.
The study authors were motivated to conduct their research because they saw the number of cosmetic procedures performed in the United States increase year after year.
“The demand for facial procedures continues to rise, and many people do state the motivation behind their desire for change is to look better for pictures or social media,” said Dr. Christy Walker.
Walker is a dual-board-certified cosmetic surgeon with a practice in Plano, Texas.
“Selfies are fueling the demand for procedures because they make people look at themselves repeatedly. If they are looking at a distorted image of themselves, they’re going to feel insecure about their appearance,” Walker said.
It is this insecurity and self-consciousness that concerned study authors, who feared this distortion could cause feelings of insecurity to progress into conditions such as body dysmorphic disorder, a condition in which an individual focuses on a specific flaw. People with body dysmorphic disorder may spend several hours a day examining their appearance and seek out cosmetic surgery to fix perceived flaws.
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, body dysmorphic disorder affects between 1.7 and 2.4 percent of the population, or one in 50 people.
But distorted selfies and body dysmorphic disorder are not the only reasons people seek out plastic surgery procedures.
“Many people seek surgery or cosmetic procedures because they simply want to look younger or improve their appearance and feel better about themselves after living with a flaw or perceived flaw for many years,” Walker said.
Other reasons people give for plastic surgery include the desire to stay competitive in the workplace or to attract a mate.
“Looking good makes you feel good, and people notice confidence. Many are attracted to it,” Walker said.
Popular facial procedures include the face-lift, blepharoplasty eyelid-lift and nose-reshaping procedures. Other in-demand treatments are minimally invasive and include Botox and dermal filler injections and other skin-rejuvenating treatments such as laser skin resurfacing, laser hair removal and microdermabrasion.
Sources:
Live Science. Selfies Distort Your Face by 30% — And Here’s the Math to Back It Up. 1 March 2018
Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). 2016
Adweek. Selfies, Narcissism and Social Media (Infographic). 6 January 2016
