"Selfie" is not just 2013's word of the year, but also the mainstay of postings on social media sites such as Instagram. With the prevalence of camera-equipped smartphones the posting of selfies has reached epidemic levels - even the funerals of national leaders aren't exempt. But is there a psychological fall-out?
A new study by Florida State University academics Jessica Ridgway and Russell Clayton found that people who were more satisfied with their body image posted more selfies to Instagram - confidently showing off, you might say. But in turn, they reported experiencing more conflict with their romantic partner - such as jealous arguments about attention others had paid their photos online - and poorer relationship quality. So does this mean that Instagram selfies are bad for relationships?
The study's authors speculate that when one partner frequently posts attractive selfies, the other partner may feel jealous or threatened. This may lead to excessive monitoring of the other's Instagram feed, which means they see even more of the attention the photos receive from followers, potentially winding them up still further. This could potentially lead to greater conflict, cheating, or a break-up.
While the study didn't directly measure this sort of monitoring behaviour, other research has revealed how social media surveillance of a romantic partner is associated with greater jealousy, insecurity, and dissatisfaction in relationships.
Another way to account for the potentially relationship-damaging effects of posting selfies is that they may simply alienate other people. There is a tendency for people to report less intimacy and emotional support in their relationships with people who are selfie-posting addicts. One reason why people may withdraw from these relationships is because they perceive the excessive selfie-posting as indicative of a narcissistic streak.