Selfie overload: #NoLikesNeeded campaign shows the dark side of social media snaps

It seems there is such a thing as selfie overload. Pictures consisting of awkward pouts, a Starbucks coffee cup or the pointless ‘I woke up like this’ snap are the norm on social media.

Selfie snapping has become a daily ritual for many of us, but is there a darker side to frequently uploading images on social media sites like Instagram and Twitter?

A research project from cleansing experts Dove has revealed that over 1 million girls in the UK suffer from low body confidence, with two-thirds declaring they feel prettier online than in real life.

The information also shows that females are taking 12 minutes to prepare for a just one selfie and how women aged 18-23 want three times more likes on social media than those aged 13-17.

This comes as no surprise, as the selfie photo folder – a new feature on Apple iOS 9 – is showing just how vain we are by collecting the amount of snaps taken using the front-faced camera.

Another survey has recently revealed how more people have died while taking selfies than from shark attacks this year. Yes, you heard us right. Taking a perfect selfie could be the death of you.

The Dove Self-Esteem Project is launching a #NoLikesNeeded campaign at the Women in the World Summit – which falls on October 8-9 – to help girls understand how important self-approval is.

Lucy Attley of Dove says: “Today’s research enables us to better understand the relationship between social media and girls’ self-esteem, and the importance of talking to girls about body confidence before they turn 18”.

So if you think ‘like chasing’ has become a habit for you, now is a good time to put down that phone and start feeling good about yourself from behind the camera.

For more info visit selfesteem.dove.com

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