Courtesy: Jesse Grant/BMA2015/Getty Images for dcpIn a study conducted by computer scientists at the University of California, Irvine, it was discovered that regularly taking selfies can benefit your health. Specifically, it can improve your mood, make you more appreciative, and, of course, make you a better selfie taker. Who doesn't want to excel in all of these important aspects of life?
The study was conducted over a four-week period and involved 41 college students. Each student downloaded a special survey app on their phones to take pics and record their moods. As they went about their normal daily activities such as going to class or hanging out with friends, the students were asked to record their moods three times per day. The students were split into groups and assigned to take one of the following types of photos; pictures including a daily smiling selfie, a pic of something that brought happiness to them, or a snap of a subject that the student thought might bring happiness to someone in which they would send that photo. It was found that those assigned to taking daily selfies reported feeling more confident with their smiling mugs over a period of time. Who doesn't want that kind of confidence?
According to the study, published in the Psychology of Well-Being, one student reported, "As days went on, I got more comfortable taking photos of myself. If you feel good about yourself, then [a] selfie would be a way to capture that." They continued, "It made me feel good, thinking, ‘this is probably how I look like for the rest of the day.'... It's a way of telling me that I could get through the day no matter what happens. One of the photos was taken when I found out my friend passed away. That was a fake smile. I was depressed. I figured [that] if I can see myself smiling in the picture, things would be okay for the day." Pretty powerful stuff!
Another noted that his smiling selfie game improved and, the report states, he actually "noticed less stress on his face." There it is, people! Selfies not only improve your mood, but they're also the new Botox.