Selfies are mostly perceived as vanity and fluff. However, selfies are in fact - as Bustle puts it - an exercise in the science of self-promotion where each contestant is vying in a large-scale - even global - arena for attention. Selfies have become such an incredible phenomenon that researchers from the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) came up with an algorithm called 'MemNet', which is designed to determine the success rate that an image might enjoy.
Aditya Khosla, who is co-author and researcher at CSAIL, describes the MemNet: "It's like having an instant focus group that tells you how likely it is that someone will remember a visual message."
A few interesting details about selfies that had been put together by Bustle:
1. A scientific formula can be used to produce a selfie that will receive a good number of likes.
According to findings by Stanford computer scientist Dr. Andrej Karpathy, popular female selfies tend to be images where the face only occupies one third of the frame, where the face is either dead center or closer to the top, and the hair length quite noticeable. Filters and borders also add to the appeal of a photo.
2. Psychosis and narcissism are traits that are common among males who post selfies
A study of selfie-posting males aged from 18 to 40 found that men who edit selfies before making them pubic tend to possess narcissistic traits while those who display concern over others' opinion about their images may likely show psychopathic traits.
3. Even people from the olden generations liked selfies
Selfies aren't really a new trend, as self portraits now displayed in museums would attest. What drives this need for selfies? Cambridge lecturer Dr. Terri Apter explains that the appeal is mostly in the control one can exercise over the resulting image and consequently on people's perceptions: "People could control the image projected, and of course the fact that the image was on display, marked the importance and status of the person represented."
4. Selfies may cause harm to real-life relationships and connections
According to Psychology Today, excessive interest in selfies tend to put a strain on people and their family and friends to always look ready to be captured on camera. It can also feed competitiveness among people for other people's attention. A UK study found that selfies - their number and their composition - can even drive friends away.
5. Favourite poses in selfies may actually reveal personality traits
Computers In Human Behaviour published a study, which indicated that the way a person poses for a selfie actually indicates a lot about their personality. Neurotics and the emotionally unstable tend to favour duck face poses. Selfies taken at low angles indicate positivity. Selfies where the location is kept private shows conscientiousness.
