How many times have you been enjoying a conversation with someone when they whip out their phone and start taking an endless amount of pictures of themselves? If it happens a lot, you just might know someone who’s addicted to selfies. As silly as a selfie addiction sounds, it can be the precursor to or an indicator of a few terrible things.
Researchers have recently begun to connect the dots between selfie addiction and OCD, body dysmorphia, and extreme depression. It turns out that all those selfies aren’t just someone screaming “look at me;” they’re also a cry for help. If you’re skeptical about whether or not someone can become addicted to taking pictures of themselves, keep reading to find real stories of people addicted to selfies.
It’s easy to forget that with every technological breakthrough comes a new way for mankind to self-destruct. With the emergence of smartphones built for selfies and the modern culture of constant updates and likes, we’re teetering on the precipice of raising a generation of extreme narcissists who won’t even realize they have a problem. To be clear, you’re not a monster if you like taking selfies, but if you find yourself spending hours a day taking hundreds of photos of yourself in order to craft the perfect selfie you might have a problem. Vote on the story of real people addicted to selfies that
To be clear, you’re not a monster if you like taking selfies, but if you find yourself spending hours a day taking hundreds of photos of yourself in order to craft the perfect picture, you might have a problem. Read these stories of real people addicted to selfies, and if you’ve hit rock bottom while staring down the camera of your phone, tell us about it in the comments.
Twenty-three-year-old Charlotte Michaels admitted to FEMAIL in 2015 that she takes up to 200 selfies a day and spends hours editing the photos in order to craft the perfect Instagram post. But it's not like she's not self-aware: "I've become extremely vain, I actually can't stand to be away from anywhere where I can't see my reflection."
Addict Who Took 200 Selfies a Day Develops Inflammatory Disease
In 2014, Michelle Gore, a self-described former "tech addict," developed Tietz disease - a rare inflammatory disorder characterized by chest pain and swelling of the cartilage of one or more of the upper ribs - after spending years hunched over her devices and taking 200 selfies a day. She's since undergone cognitive behavioral therapy to kick the selfie habit.
Teen Tries to Commit Suicide After Failing to Take Perfect Selfie
When Danny Bowman was 19, he dropped out of school and shut himself in his house, where he spent 10 hours a day trying to craft the perfect selfie. It wasn't until he tried to commit suicide that he realized he hit rock bottom. Bowman said, “The only thing I cared about was having my phone with me so I could satisfy the urge to capture a picture of myself at any time of the day. It’s a real problem like drugs, alcohol or gambling. I don’t want anyone to go through what I’ve been through.”
Woman Injects Herself with Growth Hormone for the Perfect Selfie
The lengths that some people will go to for beauty are frightening. Case in point: Jacqui Ryland, a 29-year-old mom and Instagram model (whatever that means) who injects herself with growth hormones to keep her bod looking like an ad for Photoshop. When asked about how many photos she takes of herself a day, she said, “If I’m in the gym I take a selfie. I go to bed at night, I take a selfie. I got [sic] somewhere, I take a selfie. Not without a filter though.“To me taking a selfie is the same as taking a breath of oxygen.”
In 2016, Becky Wharton, the mother of a 13-year-old girl who is obsessed with taking pictures of herself, reached out to her daughter the only way that made sense: with a Facebook post. In the post, she mentions that because of her daughter's obsession with selfies she's given herself a form of OCD, but she hopes her teen will grow out of it. "Maybe it will wear off when Caitlan is older and isn't influenced by other people quite so much. I've got to hope that will happen. At the moment I don't know what other option we have."
Three-year-olds can be self-obsessed too, you know! When the mother of a girl only known as "G" discovered that her daughter had taken 677 selfies with her phone, she did the only thing you can do when you want your child to grow up to be a mature, balanced adult. She edited the photos together into a video.
When Danny Bowman was 19, he dropped out of school and shut himself in his house, where he spent 10 hours a day trying to craft the perfect selfie. It wasn't until he tried to commit suicide that he realized he hit rock bottom. Bowman said, “The only thing I cared about was having my phone with me so I could satisfy the urge to capture a picture of myself at any time of the day. It’s a real problem like drugs, alcohol or gambling. I don’t want anyone to go through what I’ve been through.”
