THE RISE OF SELFIE GENERATION AND ITS UNEXPECTED CONSEQUENCES

Introduction
We are snapping selfies, just to share it in social media platform like facebook, instagram, twitter, etc.
Since social media platform is open to all, i.e. worldwide, there are several risks accompanied with it.
Even countries like traditional India , the selfie snapping has become a new trend in the society
especially among the youth. Indian celebrities have also contributed to the rise in selfie culture in our
society. This trend creates an impact in our lives and society which are not realized by us. Though it
appears good but there are some unexpected bad consequences too. The bad consequences may affect
ones Safety, Health and Environment too.

Bad consequences on safety

1. Selfies sharing on social media create privacy risks by exposing oneself to unknown public and
one can become a target for criminals. A Selfie photo can reveal ones location, personal
information, shows what one look like and also may be used for tracking ones movement /
travel records etc, other than that, it may also reveal other’s identity especially about ones
family and friends details.
2. Some social media is using face recognition technology (Deep Face Project), by collecting the
selfies available in social media, that is, we are providing invaluable information at free of cost
for commercial and other types of exploitation works.
3. While snapping risky selfies, the chances of accidents especially on roads, unsafe and places at
height are possible which may even lead to death. The number of people who die every year
while taking a selfie snap is on the rise. A record says 76 deaths took place in India, 9 deaths in
Pakistan, 8 deaths in the US and 6 deaths in Russia.

Bad consequences on health

The bad consqequences on health due to selfies are on both physical and psycological levels.
Physical level consequences:
1. Getting skin problems. Those who snapping selfies most frequently are noticed darker spots,
larger pores, and some freckles on their face. The doctor revealed that High Energy Visible light
(HEV) is causing the skin problems. These are the rays that are produced by smart phones. The
light emitted from ones devices can cause ‘heat and inflammation under the skin.’ Ultimately it
slows down ones skin’s ability to protect and heal itself.
 2. A new survey report says selfies are causing young women to get more unnecessary plastic
surgery to correct / suits well for an exceptionally good selfie to get more likes from their social
media circle. Teens say selfies give a “confidence boost”.
Pyschological level consequences:
1. Constantly posting selfies is a sign of loneliness, poor self esteem and can make one as
Narcissists who desperate for recognition, praise and acknowledgement from ones fans and
followers.
2. Cause addiction, depression and mental disorders in which the sufferers have an obsession
about physical appearance, such as Body Dysmorphic Disorder, Selfitis etc.

Bad consequences on environment

1. Selfie habit of ones could run the risk of alienating friends, family members and colleagues,
leading to less supportive bonds and causing damage to ones closest relationships.
2. Selfies can maintain only shallow relationships with their surroundings due to their mental
disorders like addiction, depression etc.
3. Posting selfie too often is a waste of time, which divert oneself from their career responsiblities
and personal duties, will lead to fail in their ongoing activities due to poor time management
and loss of attention with their surrondings / environment.

Conclusion
Though, selfie improves how one perceive oneself but doing it too often, leads to bad consequences as
discussed above.
Avoiding selfies is good for:
✔ Maintaining privacy,
✔ Protecting skin from smart phones exposures,
✔ Avoiding unnecessary psycological issues and
✔ Keep maintaining good relationships with closest ones
✔ Ability to utilize the available time purposefully.